The Onomastics of Control

[Rcfchess at aol.com]

...and maybe this is too obvious (or has already been said by someone;  
haven't checked the archives for this), but "X" marks the spot, as in target:  for 
example, for a V-2...
 
RF
 
In a message dated 09/04/2005 8:57:43 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
Bandwraith at aol.com writes:


"He explained the name he chose by  saying,

To take one's  'X' is to take on a certain mystery, a certain
possibility of power in the eyes of one's peers and one's  
enemies...  The 'X'', aanouced what you had  been and
what you had become: Ex-smoker,  Ex-drinker, Ex-Christian,
Ex-slave.

The 'X'  also stood for the unknown original surname of the slaves  from  whom
Malcolm-X descended in preference to continuing to use a name which  would
have been given by the slave owner." 




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