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From: rjnoe@ihlts.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.misc
Subject: Re: The "x" in xmas
Message-ID: <292@ihlts.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 16-Dec-83 18:04:02 EST
Article-I.D.: ihlts.292
Posted: Fri Dec 16 18:04:02 1983
Date-Received: Sat, 17-Dec-83 08:23:56 EST
References: <318@abnjh.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, Il
Lines: 8

Whatever "theories" people may advance as to the origin of the 'x' in
xmas, the fact is that it is not a Roman letter but the Greek letter
x (chi).  In Greek, the word "christ" is spelled xpistos (chi rho iota
sigma tau omicron sigma).  There is no doubt among linguists and
informed historians that this is in fact THE origin of "xmas".
-- 
        Roger Noe            UUCP:  ihnp4!ihlts!rjnoe
                             ARPA:  ihnp4!ihlts!rjnoe@berkeley