xoxo
English
Alternative forms
XOXO Is an abbreviation in North America known as Hugs and kisses it is commonly written as XO or XOXO. It is also an informal term used for expressing sincerity, faith, love, or good friendship at the end of a written letter, email or text message. In the United Kingdom, the phrase 'hugs and kisses' is widely used but XO or XOXO are not (though X, XX etc. for 'kisses' is).
From use of X/x to mean “kiss” and O/o to mean “hug”. Use of “X” to indicate a kiss attested since 1763,[1][2] preceded by medieval use of an “X”, which was then kissed by illiterates to indicate a signature.[3] Use of “O” is more recent, and presumably created by analogy (e.g., X/O in tic-tac-toe). Speculative theories on precise origins abound.
References
- OED: “X”. 1763 Gilbert White Letter (1901) I. vii. 132, I am with many a xxxxxxx and many a Pater noster and Ave Maria, Gil. White.
- Douglas Harper (2001–2023), “X”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
- How Stuff Works: How Valentine's Day Works
Mapudungun
References
- Wixaleyiñ: Mapucezugun-wigkazugun pici hemvlcijka (Wixaleyiñ: Small Mapudungun-Spanish dictionary), Beretta, Marta; Cañumil, Dario; Cañumil, Tulio, 2008.
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