Also 8 caribberie, 9 corobory, corobbory, corrobberri, corrobery, -borree, -bory, -baree. [The native name in the now extinct language of Port Jackson, New South Wales. (Original pronunciation uncertain.)]
The native dance of the Australian aborigines; it is held at night by moonlight or a bush fire, and is either of a festive or warlike character.
See for description T. L. Mitchell, Three Exped. E. Australia (1838), II. 4; also Blair, Cycl. Australasia (1881), 90.
1793. J. Hunter, Port Jackson, 195. They very frequently, at the conclusion of the dance, would apply to us … for marks of our approbation … which we never failed to give by often repeating the word boojery, good; or boojery caribberie, a good dance.
1835. J. Batman, in Cornwallis, New World (1859), I. App. 391. A corroborree with song was got up in quick time, in which both tribes joined, to my great delight. The company was composed entirely of women, twenty-four in number.
1837. C. M. Goodridge, Voy. S. Seas (1843), 126. After this meal they began a kind of dance, all hands repeating the word corobory. We remained among them till towards daylight, during all which time they continued their revelry.
1845. Darwin, Voy. Nat., xix. (1852), 450. These men … were persuaded to hold a ‘corrobery,’ or great dancing-party.
1871. Tylor, Prim. Cult., I. 324. The seven sister Pleiades seem to the Australians a group of girls playing to a corroboree.
1875. Ridley, Kamilaroi, 150. A song sung at corrobarees at the junction of the Hunter and the Isis.
transf. 1885. H. O. Forbes, Nat. Wand. E. Archip., IV. ii. 295. Kingfishers … in large chattering corrobories in the tops of high trees.
1892. Sat. Rev., 13 Feb., 168/2. A corrobory of gigantic dimensions is being prepared for [General Booth’s] reception.
Hence Corroboreeing vbl. sb., nonce-wd., performing the corroboree; also attrib. and transf.
1871. Darwin, Desc. Man, II. xiii. 55. The males [Lyre-bird] congregate and form ‘corroborying places,’ where they sing, raising and spreading their tails like peacocks.
