The word "cohee" is not commonly used and may not be familiar to many people. However, it is spelled phonetically and there is a logical reason for it. The IPA transcription for "cohee" is /koʊˈhi/. The "o" sound in the first syllable is long (represented by the symbol /oʊ/) and the "h" in the second syllable is silent. The final "e" is added to indicate that the "o" sound should be pronounced as a diphthong. While not commonly used, the spelling of "cohee" reflects the rules of phonetics.
The word "cohee" originates from 19th-century America and is primarily associated with the Appalachian region. Its etymology can be traced back to the Irish word "caoín" (pronounced "kee-een") meaning "to cry" or "to weep". Irish immigrants brought this term to America, and over time, it underwent phonetic changes in pronunciation and spelling, eventually becoming "cohee". In the Appalachian context, "cohee" referred to people living in remote and isolated mountainous areas who were often labeled as outsiders or uneducated by those in more populated areas.