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Usenet Posted 22 years ago
Usage
Xmas usage
The age old discussion of commercialism during the holiday season. As near as I can tell:
Christmas comes to us from the Old English. Xmas supposdedly comes to us from the Greek (chi being the X) So the Greek word for Christ is Xristos, which is more ancient but doesn't really translate all that well in modern Greek. And the Greek for Christmas is Xristougenna but that is in the modern Greek and Christmas isn't found in ancient Greek.
Now the next thing I can find out is that the Xmas is considered informal and should be used in advertising mostly.
So what are the origins of Xmas and the appropriateness/situation of using it as a substitute for Christmas?
Thanks!
Christmas comes to us from the Old English. Xmas supposdedly comes to us from the Greek (chi being the X) So the Greek word for Christ is Xristos, which is more ancient but doesn't really translate all that well in modern Greek. And the Greek for Christmas is Xristougenna but that is in the modern Greek and Christmas isn't found in ancient Greek.
Now the next thing I can find out is that the Xmas is considered informal and should be used in advertising mostly.
So what are the origins of Xmas and the appropriateness/situation of using it as a substitute for Christmas?
Thanks!
Top answer
[/nq] "Xmas" is an abbreviation of "Christmas" for use in notes (to save time), signs (to save space) and very informal contexts. It should never be used as a general alternative. When I was teaching in Hungary I found most teachers/learners of English used it inappropriately.
- [/nq] "Xmas" is an abbreviation of "Christmas" for use in notes (to save time), signs (to save space) and very informal contexts.
- It should never be used as a general alternative.
- When I was teaching in Hungary I found most teachers/learners of English used it inappropriately.
- Adrian
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56 Answers
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[nq:1]So what are the origins of Xmas and the appropriateness/situation of using it as a substitute for Christmas?[/nq]
"Xmas" is an abbreviation of "Christmas" for use in notes (to save time), signs (to save space) and very informal contexts. It should never be used as a general alternative. When I was teaching in Hungary I found most teachers/learners of English used it inappropriately.
"Xmas" is an abbreviation of "Christmas" for use in notes (to save time), signs (to save space) and very informal contexts. It should never be used as a general alternative. When I was teaching in Hungary I found most teachers/learners of English used it inappropriately.
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[nq:2]So what are the origins of Xmas and the appropriateness/situation of using it as a substitute for Christmas?[/nq]
[nq:1]"Xmas" is an abbreviation of "Christmas" for use in notes (to save time), signs (to save space) and very informal contexts. It should never be usedas a general alternative. When I was teaching in Hungary I found most teachers/learners of English used it inappropriately.
[nq:1]"Xmas" is an abbreviation of "Christmas" for use in notes (to save time), signs (to save space) and very informal contexts. It should never be usedas a general alternative. When I was teaching in Hungary I found most teachers/learners of English used it inappropriately.
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Moses is right about etymology, but what he was told about contemporary usage (reported in his original post but snipped along the way), which is what Adrian also described, is also correct. His question was not about etymology he knew that just fine. What he asked about was the use of the form "Xmas" in contemporary English, an issue affected little, if at all, by etymology or church symbology. T
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[nq:1]So what are the origins of Xmas and the appropriateness/situation of using it as a substitute for Christmas?[/nq]
Well, certainly if you're writing something formal, you should write out "Christmas." As for advertising, I would also use "Christmas" just to be 100% sure the ad is understood.
When scribbling, I use the X for Xtian too.
Dena Jo
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Well, certainly if you're writing something formal, you should write out "Christmas." As for advertising, I would also use "Christmas" just to be 100% sure the ad is understood.
When scribbling, I use the X for Xtian too.
Dena Jo
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[nq:1]The X is standard usage in church symbology.[/nq]
Examples, please?
Dena Jo
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Examples, please?
Dena Jo
Delete "delete.this.for.email" for email.
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[nq:1]The age old discussion of commercialism during the holiday season. As near as I can tell: Christmas comes to us ... mostly. So what are the origins of Xmas and the appropriateness/situation of using it as a substitute for Christmas? Thanks![/nq]I don't have any first or second or third-hand information, but I had assumed or deduced since I did have some basis for it a long time ago that the
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[nq:1]The age old discussion of commercialism during the holiday season. As near as I can tell: Christmas comes to us ... mostly. So what are the origins of Xmas and the appropriateness/situation of using it as a substitute for Christmas? Thanks![/nq]
I remember that as a young person, my parents refused to use the abbreviation of Xmas. They, and other less etymologically inclined Christians,
I remember that as a young person, my parents refused to use the abbreviation of Xmas. They, and other less etymologically inclined Christians,
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[nq:1] They, and other less etymologically inclined Christians, felt it was a secularization of the name of Christ. I suppose they believed it was another attempt by secular media and whatnot to remove Christ from Christmas.[/nq]
Whether a person is more or less etymologically inclined, a person can still use "Xmas" in order to take Christ out of Christmas.
So it turns out that your p
Whether a person is more or less etymologically inclined, a person can still use "Xmas" in order to take Christ out of Christmas.
So it turns out that your p
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[nq:2]The age old discussion of commercialism during the holiday season. ... appropriateness/situation of using it as a substitute for Christmas? Thanks![/nq]
[nq:1]I remember that as a young person, my parents refused to use the abbreviation of Xmas. They, and other less ... of Christ. I suppose they believed it was another attempt by secular media and whatnot to remove Christ from Christmas.
[nq:1]I remember that as a young person, my parents refused to use the abbreviation of Xmas. They, and other less ... of Christ. I suppose they believed it was another attempt by secular media and whatnot to remove Christ from Christmas.
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Once upon a 12/22/03 8:39 PM, in the land of
[nq:2]I remember that as a young person, my parents refused ... by secular media and whatnot to remove Christ from Christmas.[/nq]
[nq:1]Around 1962, I saw a bumper sticker that said, "Let's put the X back in Xmas."[/nq]
1962? Did they even have bumper stickers back then?
[nq:2]I remember that as a young person, my parents refused ... by secular media and whatnot to remove Christ from Christmas.[/nq]
[nq:1]Around 1962, I saw a bumper sticker that said, "Let's put the X back in Xmas."[/nq]
1962? Did they even have bumper stickers back then?
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