Amush

[Thom Harrison]

If a speculation may be considered, perhaps this is an example of the adverb
and adjective-making  prefix a- (derived according to my dictionary from ME
on), as in "agape" and "aquiver" ("My heart was all aquiver").  The meaning
might be "in(to) a state of mush."

Thom Harrison


-----Original Message-----
From: Douglas G. Wilson [mailto:douglas at NB.NET]
Sent: Friday, May 31, 2002 5:02 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: Amush


 >A subscriber has asked about the word 'amush'. He wrote: "It was
encountered in an email I'd received, it stated, 'my mind has been running
me amush the past few days.'

This looks to me like an error for "[running] amok" under influence of
something else, perhaps the "Mush!" supposedly uttered to urge on the sled
dogs and/or plain "mush" (as in "my mind is turning to mush").

The Web instances of "amush" are largely errors for "ambush" -- which I
think the quoted ones are -- or else instances of a Hebrew salutation --

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Plains/6181/HebglossA.html

-- but a few seem to be Linux-related ... I suspect just somebody using the
Hebrew expression as a cognomen.

I have passed the inquiry along to a respected authoritative Linux-loving
geek, and I'll respond further if any further information should appear.

-- Doug Wilson