"rough music, a mock-serenade intended as annoyance or insult," especially as a community way of expressing disapproval of a marriage match, 1735, from French charivari, from Old French chalivali "discordant noise made by pots and pans" (14c.), from Late Latin caribaria "a severe headache," from Greek karebaria "headache," from kare "head" (from PIE root *ker- (1) "horn; head") + barys "heavy," from PIE root *gwere- (1) "heavy." Compare callithumpian.
