Where "Cooee" Comes From
“Cooee” was borrowed from the Dharug language of the Aboriginal peoples of the Sydney Basin, where the word (related to “guu-wii” meaning “come here”) was used as a long-distance call through dense bushland. The first written European record is in the papers of Daniel Southwell, an officer aboard HMS Sirius that sailed with the First Fleet; the word is documented in written English from around 1788–1790.
The word generated the idiom “within cooee” — within calling distance, or by extension nearby. It is one of the few Australian English expressions that traces directly to an Aboriginal language and remains in active everyday use, both as a call and in the figurative phrase — making it one of the most linguistically significant loanwords in Australian English.
Source: Wikipedia — “Cooee”
"Give a cooee when you reach the campsite so we know you've made it safely."
How Aussies Actually Use It
Used both as a literal call when hiking or camping and as a cheerful informal shout between friends.
"Not within cooee" means nowhere near, miles away, or completely off the mark.
📚 Sources & further reading
- Borrowings from Aboriginal Languages — Australian National Dictionary Centre, ANU
- Borrowed Aboriginal words — ABC Education
Part of our Aboriginal Loanwords collection →
🎓 Want to sound like a true Aussie?
Watch Down Under English on YouTube for real Australian pronunciation, slang lessons, and culture — taught by an Australian educator.
Watch on YouTube →