musha

Borrowed from Irish muise; perhaps originally a minced oath for Muire (“Mary”).

musha

1. (Ireland, archaic) An expression of surprise.
   • 1904–1907 (date written), James Joyce, “Ivy Day in the Committee Room”, in Dubliners, London: Grant Richards, published June 1914, →OCLC, page 149:

     ‘Musha, God be with them times!’ said the old man. ‘There was some life in it then.’

   • 1901, Kate Douglas Wiggin, Penelope's Irish Experiences‎^[1]:

     Och! musha bedad, man alive, but it's a fine counthry over here, and it bangs all the jewel of a view we do be havin' from the windys, begorra!

   • 1895, Barlow Jane, Strangers at Lisconnel‎^[2]:

     When her neighbour, Mrs. Ryan, looked in, she could not forbear mentioning the expected call, and was further elated because Mrs. Ryan at once remarked: "Sure, 'twill be Bessy he's after," though she herself, of course, disclaimed the idea, saying: "Och musha, ma'am, not at all."

   • 1841, Charles Lever, Charles O'Malley, The Irish Dragoon, Volume 1 (of 2)‎^[3]:

     Well, here now, here's five hogs to begin with; and, musha, but I never thought I'd be spending my loose change that way.'

2. (Ireland, often ironic) An expression of sympathy.

• haums, Usham, mahus, Muhas

musha

1. Rōmaji transcription of むしゃ

Inherited from Proto-Algonquian *mo·nšwe·wa. By surface analysis, mush (“to cut hair”) +‎ -a (directive suffix).

musha (VTA (transitive animate-object))

1. to cut one's hair

• mushasi
• mushitunayahwi
• mushëk

• Rementer, Jim with Pearson, Bruce L. (2005), “mushaw”, in Grant Leneaux, Raymond Whritenour, editors, The Lenape Talking Dictionary, The Lenape Language Preservation Project