-x

See also: Appendix:Variations of "x"

English

Etymology 1

Suffix

-x

1. Used to represent a value that may vary: see x.

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

See also

• x (as in Latinx, etc)

Etymology 2

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ks/

Suffix

-x

2. (chiefly US, informal) Used to replace a /ks/ sound, especially in monosyllabic words ending in -cks or -ks.

   blax (“blacks”), clox (“clocks”), fax (“facts”), folx (“folks”), hax (“hacks”), pix (“pics”), punx (“punks”), snax (“snacks”), sox (“socks”), stix (“sticks”), tix (“tickets”), trax (“tracks”)

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 of x as a neutral or nonspecific placeholder.

Suffix

-x

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

French

Etymology

From a medieval ligature for -us, which looked similar to the letter x and was ultimately treated as identical to it. Thus Old French voyeus (“vowel”) was also spelt voyex, for instance. Later on the u was reinserted before the -x and this latter thus became an alternative spelling of -s in 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

Category French terms suffixed with -x not found

See also

• -s

Maltese

Etymology

From Arabic شَيْء (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 particle ma to negate verbs and adverbs

   jikteb → ma jiktibx ― he writes → he doesn’t write

2. Used on its own or with the particle la to express a negated imperative

   tikteb → tiktibx or: la tiktibx ― you write → don't write

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

Borrowed from English -x.

Suffix

-x

1. (now chiefly proscribed) a gender-neutral, normally not pronounced suffix that replaces -o and -a in nouns, adjectives and pronouns

   Synonym: -e

   Somos todxs um. ― We are all one.

Usage notes

• @ and -x have been gradually displaced by -e as gender-neutral suffixes in favor of users of text-to-speech and people with reading disorders.

Spanish

Suffix

-x m or f by sense (noun-forming suffix, plural -xs)
-x m or f (adjective-forming suffix, masculine and feminine plural -xs)

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