-x

See also:Appendix:Variations of "x"

English

Etymology 1

Suffix

-x

1. Used to represent a value that may vary: seex.

   I teach all of the 30x classes.(referring to classes numbered 301, 302, 303, etc)

See also

• x(as inLatinx,etc)

Etymology 2

Xis prototypically pronounced[ks]in English; it therefore serves as a convenient shorthand for the digraphs (cs,ks,etc.) or trigraphs (cksetc.) that would otherwise represent that consonant cluster.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):/ks/

Suffix

-x

2. (chieflyUS,informal)Used to replace a/ks/sound, especially in monosyllabic words ending in-cksor-ks.

   clox(“clocks”),folx(“folks”),hax(“hacks”),pix(“pics”),punx(“punks”),snax(“snacks”),sox(“socks”)

See also

• -z

Etymology 3

Suffix

-x

1. An abbreviation marker.

   Dx(“diagnosis”),elex(“election”),Hx(“history”),pax(“passenger”),RX(“receive”),TX(“transmit”)

Etymology 4

From the use ofxas a neutral or nonspecificplaceholder.

Suffix

-x

2. (neologism)Used to replace a gendered suffix, such as inalumnx,Chicanx,Latinx.

French

Etymology

From a medieval ligature for-us,which looked similar to the letterxand was ultimately treated as identical to it. ThusOld Frenchvoyeus(“vowel”)was also speltvoyex,for instance. Later on theuwas reinserted before the-xand this latter thus became an alternative spelling of-sin said position.

Pronunciation

• Silent, except in liaison environments, when it may be pronounced/z‿/.This liaison is usual in adjectives, but fairly rare in nouns.

Suffix

-x

1. Used to form the regular plurals of nouns and adjectives in -au and -eu.

   dieu → dieux―god → gods

   noyau → noyaux―core → cores

   hébreu → hébreux―Hebrew → Hebrews

2. Used to form the irregular plurals of a few nouns in -ou (which regularly add-s).

   pou → poux―louse → lice

Derived terms

CategoryFrench terms suffixed with -xnot found

See also

• -s

Maltese

Etymology

FromArabicشَيْء(šayʔ,“thing”).The same negation suffix is found in most North African and some Levantine dialects of Arabic.

Suffix

-x

1. Used together with the particlemato negate verbs and adverbs

   jikteb → ma jiktibx―he writes → he doesn’twrite

2. Used on its own or with the particlelato express a negated imperative

   tikteb → tiktibxor:la tiktibx―you write →don'twrite

Usage notes

• A suffixed-x,etymologically from the same Arabic noun as the above, also occurs in a handful of Maltese words without a negative meaning, e.g.kollox(“everything”),aktarx(“rather, probably”),jekkx(“whether”).

Portuguese

Etymology

BorrowedfromEnglish-x.

Suffix

-x

1. (now chieflyproscribed)a gender-neutral, normally not pronounced suffix that replaces-oand-ain nouns, adjectives and pronouns

   Synonym:-e

   Somos todxs um.―We are all one.

Usage notes

• @and-xhave been gradually displaced by-eas gender-neutral suffixes in favor of users of text-to-speech and people with reading disorders.

Spanish

Suffix

-xmorfby sense(noun-forming suffix,plural-xs)
-xmorf(adjective-forming suffix,masculine and feminine plural-xs)

2. (nonstandard,neologism)a gender-neutral suffix that replaces-oand-ain nouns, adjectives and pronouns