Where does “X” come from?
X (Tagalog) comes from Spanish x, from English X, from English Christ, from Middle English Crist, from Old English Crīst, from Latin Chrīstus, from Ancient Greek Χριστός, from Ancient Greek χρίω — to rub; to stroke; to grind.
Ancestry of “X”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spanish | x | por |
| 2 | English | X | An unknown quantity or unknown value; A variable... |
| 3 | English | Christ | A figure or other artistic depiction of Jesus... |
| 4 | Middle English | Crist | (Jesus) Christ |
| 5 | Old English | Crīst | Christ |
| 6 | Latin | Chrīstus | — |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | Χριστός | anointed; messiah; annointed, the annointed one,... |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | χρίω | to rub or smear (especially the body) with oil or unguents; to anoint |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰrēy- | to smear; to paint, streak, smear |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰer- | to rub; to stroke; to grind |