WYE, a river of Wales, which rising on the confines of Cardiganshire, and running south-east, divides the counties of Radnor and Brecknock; then crossing Herefordshire, it runs south and falls into the mouth of the Severn at Chepstow.
X, or x, is the 22d letter of our alphabet, and a double consonant. It was not used by the Hebrews or ancient Greeks; for as it is a compound letter, the ancients, who used great simplicity in their writings, made use of, and expressed this letter by its component letters cs. Neither have the Italians this letter, but express it by ff. X begins no word in our language but such as are of Greek original; and is in few others but what are of Latin derivation; as perplex, reflexion, defluxion, &c. We often express this found by single letters, as cks, in backs, necks; by ks, in books, breaks; by cc, in access, accident; by ct, in action, untion, &c. The English and French pronounce it like cs or ks; the Spaniards like c before a, viz. Alexandro, as if it were Aleandro. In numerals it expresseth 10, whence in old Roman manuscripts it is used for denarius; and as such seems to be made of two V's placed one over the other. When a dash is added over it, thus , it signifies 10,000.