-x

See also: Appendix:Variations of "x"

English

Etymology 1

Suffix

-x

2. 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.)

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

2. 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.

   alumnx, Chicanx, Latinx

See also

• x

French

Etymology 1

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.

This use of -x and particularly the irregularities in its application, which developed over time, have been criticized by grammarians for centuries, but no reform has ever been enacted. The most recent spelling reform of 1990 did not touch the matter either.

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

See also

• -s

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ks/, /s/ or silent

Suffix

-x gender-neutral (noun-forming suffix, plural -x or -xs or -z)

1. (neologism, gender-neutral, nonstandard) forms the gender-neutral of adjectives and nouns

   ‎étudiant + ‎-x → ‎étudianx

   ‎ami + ‎-x → ‎amix

Derived terms

French terms suffixed with -x

étudianx

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 n (noun-forming suffix, plural -xs)

2. (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

• As gender-neutral suffixes, @ and -x have been gradually displaced by -e, considered easier for users of text-to-speech and people with reading disorders.

Spanish

Suffix

-x gender-neutral (noun-forming suffix, plural -xs)

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