by zagimaster on May 22nd, 2005

zagimaster

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What does the "ex" in ex-wife /husband, ex-girlfriend/boyfriend, etc., stand for?

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Answers. 5 helpful answers below.

  • by KCTrey on May 23rd, 2005

    KCTrey

    Long answer, but I included all of the details for completeness.

    The prefix ex- comes from Latin ex-, e-, meaning “out of, from.”

    It usually occurs with word roots that come from Latin verbs. Thus combining ex- with the Latin verb tendere, “to stretch,” gives us extend, “to stretch out.”

    Similarly, in express, ex- combines with the root press, which comes from the verb premere, “to squeeze.” So when we express ourselves, we “squeeze out” our thoughts.

    When followed by f, ex- becomes ef-, as in efface. Sometimes ex- takes the form of e-, as in emit (from Latin mittere, “to send").

    Today ex- only forms new words when it means “former,” and it is always followed by a hyphen: ex-President.

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  • by MsPhyl on November 9th, 2006

    MsPhyl

    It means they're history, in the past, yesterday's news, no longer the apple of one's eye and most likely one of the most hated people on earth.

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  • by Petit Gateau on April 29th, 2006

    Petit Gateau

    Former; no longer.

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  • by skinamin on November 1st, 2006

    skinamin

    Duh
    It means n "ex" t!!!!!

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  • by Maria A. Quito on February 1st, 2010

    Maria A. Quito

    It means "That person used to be mine, but now, it can be yours if you want."

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