| 词组 | Xmas |
| 释义 | Xmas Xmas has been used as a short form of Christmas since the 16th century. The X is derived from the Greek letter chi (X), which is the first letter in Xptaros, "Christos." X, Xp, and Xt, all derived from the Greek name, have been used to stand for Christ- in other words besides Xmas. There is evidence in the OED and the OED Supplement for Xpen (1485), Xpian (1598), and Xtian (1845, 1915, 1940), all meaning "Christian," and for Xpofer (1573), "Christopher," Xstened (168586), "christened," and Xtianity (1634, 1811, 1966), "Christianity." Most of the recent evidence for these words comes from the letters of educated Englishmen who know their Greek. Xmas also has shown a tendency to turn up in the letters of the well-educated: • ... but if you won't come here before Xmas, I very much fear we shall not meet here at all —Lord Byron, letter, 9 Sept. 1811 • ... which I hope to get published before Xmas — Lewis Carroll, letter, 10 June 1864 • I expect about Xmas a visit —Oliver Wendell Holmes d. 1935, letter, 11 Oct. 1923 By and large, however, Xmas is limited in current usage to advertisements, headlines, and banners, where its brevity is an advantage. When read aloud, it is pronounced either \\\\kris-mas\\\\ or \\\\ek-smas\\\\ Some people dislike it because it displaces the Christ- in Christmas. Its association with the world of advertising has also done nothing for its reputation. |
| 随便看 |
英语用法大全包含2888条英语用法指南，基本涵盖了全部常用英文词汇及语法点的翻译及用法，是英语学习的有利工具。