Why do we use the shorthand "Xtians" but .... ?

Question

The shorthand for christmas isn't xtmas?

ha ha

How exactly did "X" become a shorthand for christ? (Or chris, however you look at it.)

wow, now I feel kinda uneducated. *lol*

Answer 1

There's something about this at Wikipedia, if I recall correctly... hold on, I'll go find it.

"Christ" was often written as "XP" or "Xt"; there are references in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as far back as 1021 AD. This X and P arose as the uppercase forms of the Greek letters χ and ρ), used in ancient abbreviations for Χριστος (Greek for "Christ"), and are still widely seen in many Eastern Orthodox icons depicting Jesus Christ.

The occasionally held belief that the "X" represents the cross Christ was crucified on has no basis in fact. St Andrew's Cross is X-shaped, but Christ's cross was probably shaped like a T or a †. Indeed, X-as-chi was associated with Christ long before X-as-cross could be, since the cross as a Christian symbol developed later. (The Greek letter Chi Χ stood for "Christ" in the ancient Greek acrostic ΙΧΘΥΣ ichthys.)

Answer 2

It started with the greek letters chi rho for christ but a lot of people do abbreviate Christmas as xmas. It is just lazy shorthand. The shorthand xtians is used by non-Christians to refer to the christians who are closed-minded and bigotted.

Answer 3

We get the "X" from the Koine Greek alphabet. "X" was their letter "K" or "Chi", and was used as the first letter in "Christ".

FYI, the second letter was "Rho", and looked like a modern "P".

This is also the origin of the "XP" sign you may see from time to time (It looks like a capital X with a capital P coming up out of it.). It is an ancient shorthand for "christ".

Google the Koine Greek alphabet for more study!

Answer 4

I really don't know the year, but the ' x ' was used during a time when the sign of the cross was forbidden. The ' x ' actually *is* a cross in a way, and has since then been used as such, and everything to do with Christians for all time.

The common name for Christmas is ' X-mas'.

Answer 5

So people who don't believe in Christ could cross him out with an X for a sign of disrespect. That is one theory. I have also heard something about an X stands for something in Greek or Hebrew and relates to Christ in some way.

Answer 6

There are two reasons:

1. the letter X relates to the greek letter that makes the "Chr*st" sound.
2. People from certain religions (like mine) are not to write the names of gods or idols we do not believe in. This includes J*sus, Chr*st, B*ddha, etc. I usually use the X in Xtian because of reason number 1--it does resemble the sound of the Greek letter I am trying to say, so I use the X to try to be as respectful as possible, both to your religion and mine.

Answer 7

X is the Greek letter "chi", the first letter of the word "Christ".

[Edit] and Yuri, "P" is the Greek letter "rho": XP is "Chr." - an abbreviation.

Answer 8

The "X" is a pictograph of the cross He was crucified on.

Answer 9

It is not shorthand it is a insult.

Answer 10

Do you know that "Christ" was commonly written "XP"?