If you need to text your partner to ask them to pick up a prescription on the way home from work, you might type, “Can you pick up my Rx?” Despite the letter “X” appearing nowhere in the word “prescription,” this has been a commonly used abbreviation since the 1920s. As with many linguistic questions, there’s not a definitive origin story, but there are two theories, both going back to ancient times, with the advent of preparing and dispensing drugs associated with healing powers.
One theory: “X” is from the symbol for Horus, the ancient Egyptian god of healing, among other things. During a battle, Horus’ evil uncle, Seth, plucked out Horus’ left eye, tearing it apart. Thoth, the Egyptian god of magic, pieced it back together, added a little magic, and brought Horus’ father, Osiris, back to life. And so the symbol of Horus ensures good health, warding off sickness.
In the second theory, the “R” comes from the Latin root of “recipe,” which is a verb in instructions for medical preparations, essentially meaning“take this.” So, “recipe” originally referred to what the doctor was instructing you to do, and is now what the author of a cookbook is telling you to do with ingredients. When the “Rx” abbreviation is crafted by crossing the leg of the “R,” it mimics the astrological symbol for the Roman god Jupiter, patron of medicine. Thus, the recipe was fortified by Jupiter’s healing powers. According toRoman astrology, the “X” included in the “Rx” symbol improves the efficacy of the medication.
Whether you believe in the healing powers of Horus or of Jupiter, or you leave it to the doctors and pharmacists, think of these ancient origin stories each time you fill an Rx.
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