Editing Christogram (section)

{{Short description|Monogram for Jesus Christ}}
[[File:Simple_Labarum.svg|thumb|Chrismon]]
[[File:Chrisme Colosseum Rome Italy.jpg|thumb| [[Chi-Rho]] symbol with [[Alpha and Omega]] on a 4th-century sarcophagus ([[Vatican Museums]])]]

A '''Christogram''' ({{langx|la|Monogramma Christi}}){{efn|The portmanteau of ''Christo-'' and ''-gramma'' is modern, first introduced in German as {{lang|de|[[:wikt:Christogramm|Christogramm]]}} in the mid-18th century. Its adoption into English as ''[[:wikt:Christogram|Christogram]]'' dates to {{c.|1900}}.}} is a [[monogram]] or combination of letters that forms an abbreviation for the name of [[Jesus Christ]], traditionally used as a [[Christian symbolism|religious symbol]] within the [[Christian Church]].

One of the oldest Christograms is the [[Chi-Rho]] (☧). It consists of the superimposed Greek letters [[Chi (letter)|chi]] {{lang|grc|(Χ)}} and [[Rho (letter)|rho]] {{lang|grc|(Ρ)}}, which are the first two letters of the Greek {{lang|grc|χριστός}}, 'Christ'. It was displayed on the {{lang|la|[[labarum]]}} military standard used by [[Constantine I]] in 312 AD. The [[IX monogram]] ([[File:Christliche Symbolik (Menzel) I 193 4.jpg|15px]]) is a similar form, using the initials of the name {{lang|grc|Ἰησοῦς (ὁ) Χριστός}}, 'Jesus (the) Christ', as is the [[IH monogram|ΙΗ monogram]] ([[File:IH Monogram with iota and eta superimposed.jpg|15px]]), using the first two letters of the name {{lang|grc|ΙΗΣΟΥΣ}}, 'JESUS' in uppercase.

There were a very considerable number of variants of "Christograms" or monograms of Christ in use during the medieval period, with the boundary between specific monograms and mere [[scribal abbreviations]] somewhat fluid.

The name ''Jesus'', spelt {{lang|grc|ΙΗΣΟΥΣ}} in Greek capitals, has the abbreviations ''IHS'' (also written ''JHS, IHC'', or ''ΙΗΣ''). The name ''Christus'' , spelt {{lang|grc|ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ}}, has ''XP'' (and inflectional variants such as ''IX, XPO, XPS, XPI, XPM''). In Eastern Christian tradition, the monogram ΙϹΧϹ (with [[Overline]] indicating scribal abbreviation) is used for {{lang|grc|Ἰησοῦς Χριστός}} in both Greek and Cyrillic tradition.

A [[Middle Latin]] term for abbreviations of the name of Christ is {{lang|la|chrisimus}}.<ref>[http://ducange.enc.sorbonne.fr/CHRISIMUS Chrisimus] (par les Bénédictins de St. Maur, 1733–1736), in: du Cange, et al., ''Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis'', ed. augm., Niort : L. Favre, 1883‑1887, t. 2, col. 317b. "CHRISIMUS, Nomen Christi abbreviatum in antiquis instrumentis secundum diversos casus sic XPS. XPI. XPO. XPM. ubi media littera P. Græcum. Vox Chrisimus legitur in Annal. Benedict. tom. 5. pag. 7."</ref> Similarly, the Middle Latin {{lang|la|[[:wikt:crismon|crismon]]}}, {{lang|la|chrismon}} refers to the Chi-Rho monogram specifically.<ref>[http://ducange.enc.sorbonne.fr/CRISMON Crismon] (par les Bénédictins de St. Maur, 1733–1736), in: du Cange, et al., ''Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis'', ed. augm., Niort : L. Favre, 1883‑1887, t. 2, col. 621b.

"CRISMON, Nota quæ in libro ex voluntate uniuscujusque ad aliquid notandum ponitur. Papias in MS. Bituric. Crismon vel Chrismon proprie est Monogramma Christi sic expressum ☧"

[http://ducange.enc.sorbonne.fr/CHRISMON1 1 chrismon] (par les Bénédictins de St. Maur, 1733–1736), in: du Cange, et al., ''Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis'', ed. augm., Niort : L. Favre, 1883‑1887, t. 2, col. [http://media.enc.sorbonne.fr/ducange/jpg/C/318c.jpg  318c], citing Heumann. de re Diplom. inde a Carol. M. §&nbsp;12; Murator. Antiquit. Ital. tom. 3. col. 75.</ref>