xoxo

English

Alternative forms

• xo, XO, xoxoxo, XOXO

Etymology

From use of X/x to mean “kiss” and O/o to mean “hug”. Use of “X” to indicate a kiss attested since 1763, preceded by medieval use of an “X”, which was then kissed by illiterates to indicate a signature. 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.

Noun

xoxo

1. Abbreviation of hugs and kisses, usually placed at the end of a letter.

   Synonyms: 88, X's and O's

Related terms

• xxx
• ooo

Ewe

Adjective

xoxo

1. old

Adverb

xoxo

1. already

Gun

Alternative forms

• hóhó (Nigeria)

Etymology

From Proto-Gbe *χoχó. Cognates include Fon xóxó, Saxwe Gbe xíxó, Adja xoxu, Ewe xoxo

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /xó.xó/

Verb

xóxó (Benin)

1. to be old

Mapudungun

Adjective

xoxo (Raguileo spelling)

1. convex

References

• Wixaleyiñ: Mapucezugun-wigkazugun pici hemvlcijka (Wixaleyiñ: Small Mapudungun-Spanish dictionary), Beretta, Marta; Cañumil, Dario; Cañumil, Tulio, 2008.

Portuguese

Verb

xoxo

1. first-person singular present indicative of xoxar

Venetan

Alternative forms

• xo

Etymology

Inherited from Late Latin iōsum, from Classical Latin deorsum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈz̠oːz̠o̞]

Adverb

xóxo

1. down

   Antonym: suxo

References

• AIS: Sprach- und Sachatlas Italiens und der Südschweiz [Linguistic and Ethnographic Atlas of Italy and Southern Switzerland] – map 1611: “scendete laggiù!” – on navigais-web.pd.istc.cnr.it