Sc. and Irish. Forms: 6 corrynogh, corre-, corri-, corynoch, 7 corronach, corinoch, coranough, 8 cronach, coranich, 9 coranoch, 8– coronach. [a. Irish coranach, Gaelic corranach outcry, funeral cry, dirge, f. comh- together + rànach roaring, outcry.]
† 1. gen. The Celtic word for a shouting of many, an outcry. Obs.
1500–20. Dunbar, Dance Sevin Deidly Synnis, 112. Be he the Correnoch [Maitl. MS. corynoche] had done schout, Erschemen so gadderit him abowt.
15[?]. Duncan Laider, in Warton, Hist. E. P. (1774), II. 278. The loud Corrinoch then did me exile.
1680. C. Maitland, in Lauderdale Papers (1885), III. cxix. 197. The hilan men maid a bussill, after which, some people cuming in, his lo[rdship] went away with a great Corinoch.
2. spec. A funeral song or lamentation in the Highlands of Scotland and in Ireland; a dirge.
1530. Lyndesay, Test. Papyngo, 702. Cryand for ȝow the cairfull corrynogh.
1681. W. Robertson, Phraseol. Gen. (1693), 1092. A sad and sorrowful song, an Irish Coranough.
1774. Pennant, Tour Scot. in 1772 (1790), 113. The Coranich, or singing at funerals is still in use in some places.
1783. W. F. Martyn, Geog. Mag., II. 413. The Highland funerals were generally preceded by bagpipes which played certain dirges, called coronachs.
1814. Scott, Wav., xv. Their wives and daughters came, clapping their hands, and crying the coronach, and shrieking.
1850. Blackie, Æschylus, II. 340. The passionate oriental coronach with which ‘the Persians’ concludes.
1884. W. C. Smith, Kildrostan, I. i. 236. Eachan Macrimmon is playing a coronach as it were for a chief.
† b. The company crying the coronach. Obs.
1771. Smollett, Humph. Cl., III. 3 Sept. Attended by the coronach, composed of a multitude of old hags, who tore their hair.
