Most of us go through our days using words to form sentences in an effort to communicate with others. We do not question from where they come, the nature of the abstraction they represent, or why we use them.
In essence, the study of words is really just the exploration of complex symbols that have been passed down to us through the ages. These symbols are able to enter the human mind through a variety of media. A brain can be triggered to thought through external stimuli acting on all of our senses. Many symbols can represent sounds, sights, noises, tastes, feelings, and thoughts.
Two of the most powerful symbols are X and Y. Taken individually, we can learn much from their usage in our language to understand some of the concepts they represent. However, it is when X and Y are considered together that they start to tell an intricate tale of the mysteries of life.
X..
-Is a double consonant, representing [ks], [gz] sometimes [z], once in a while it can even vanish into thin air when it is used in a faux fashion, and sometimes it sux out [cks].
-Marks the spot. It is specific. It can mark the exact point of importance on a map.
-Means “away from”. When a pirate found his X on the map, he could extract his treasure. As most pirates hoarded more treasure than they could ever spend, an archaeologist might later excavate the site and examine the relics to extrapolate the story of what happened and excite the fancy of the public. The curators at a museum will only a take out a small portion of the treasures to show as an example. Okay, enough with pirates and their booty. X also represents what once was, but no longer is. A former lover is often referred to as The X.
-Is abnormal and often mysterious. Extraterrestrials and X-men possess extraordinary powers, but normal people also search for the elusive X-factor to bring success to their sports teams or businesses. It is dangerous, but intriguing. Cartoon bottles of booze have X’s across the front. Pornographic magazines showing sexy vixens are X-rated. X-stasy is a dangerous drug that induces feelings of euphoria.
= 10 in Roman numerals. Furthermore, 1 and 0 are the basis for the binary numeral system, which allowed for the information revolution to take place.
-Is the Greek letter “Chi.”
-Is a kiss when it is followed by an O in a letter. It is also “equis” when it is spoken in Spanish.
-Is a miss. Game shows use a big red X, accompanied by an obnoxious buzzer, to indicate an incorrect answer. The same X is used in baseball to signify a strike. Although the X might be unfortunate for some players, it is a success for the opposing team who gets a chance to answer or the pitcher who was able to best the batter. Understandably, a strike in bowling is also an X, which represents the successful upheaval of all ten pins.
-Is a pyramid from plan view (directly above).
-Was once used to denote a signature or a sworn oath. Some argue that this is because the X was the symbol of the Seal of Hashem in ancient Paleo Hebrew, standing for truth, completeness, and perfection. The X can also be the Christian cross. The word for Christian in Greek was Χριστιανός, roughly meaning “’household’ or ‘partisan’ of Christ.” Even without understanding Greek, this becomes relevant because the alphabet of English was most certainly adapted from the “Alpha, Beta…” of the Greek.
-Is multiplication. When placed between two numbers, it creates something much larger. It creates a product and gives dimensions. Rotate the symbol 45 degrees and it becomes addition, the means by which a sum is created.
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