Gamushara (がむしゃら - Headlong)

Have you ever taken an adventurous action towards a purpose?

Such an action is called "gamushara" (がむしゃら) in Japan.

This term is composed of "gamusha" (がむしゃ) and the suffix "ra" (ら).

"Gamusha" is written as "我武者" in kanji, and its literal meaning is "self-assertive samurai," so this is often thought as the etymology of "gamushara."

Besides, there are several theories about the etymology of "gamushara," for example, it comes from "gamusho," which means to feel an irresistible desire to do something, or "musha kusha," which is a onomatopoeia that refers to something uncomfortable and restless.

がむしゃら

何か一つの目的に向かって、向こう見ずな行動をとったことはありますか？

そのような行動のことを、日本語で「がむしゃら」と言います。

この言葉は、「がむしゃ」に接尾語の「ら」が付いたものです。

「がむしゃ」を漢字で書くと「我武者」となり、「我の強い武者」という意味になり、これを語源とする説が有名です。

他にも、我を忘れて無性に何かをしたいという意味の「我無性」が転じたとする説や、不愉快で落ち着かない様子を表す「むしゃくしゃ」という擬音語から来たという説などがあります。