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e.g. _{(Nahuatl: Mēxihco → )} México → Méjico → México
e.g. _{(Catalán: boxus → boix → )} box → boj

e.g. _{(Nahuatl: Mēxihco → )} México → Méjico → México
e.g. _{(Catalán: boxus → boix → )} box → boj

So, the complete story seems to be:

1. ...xV... _{(x followed by vowel, naturally inherited from Latin to Spanish)}
   ⟨x⟩ /ks/ → ⟨x⟩ [js] → ⟨x⟩ [sj] → ⟨x⟩ /ʃ/ → ⟨x⟩ /ʃ/ → ⟨j⟩ /ʃ/ → ⟨j⟩ /x/
... ... ... ... ... → ⟨j⟩ /ʒ/ → ⟨j⟩ /ʃ/ ↗

e.g. exemplus → exemplo → ejemplo

Thus, words with an 'x' spelling come under three categories in Spanish:

1.

• ...xV... _{(x followed by vowel, naturally inherited from Latin to Spanish)}
  ⟨x⟩ /ks/ → ⟨x⟩ [js] → ⟨x⟩ [sj] → ⟨x⟩ /ʃ/ → ⟨j⟩ /ʃ/ → ⟨j⟩ /x/

e.g. exemplus → exemplo → ejemplo

• ...x... _{(loanword at time when "x" was pronounced /ʃ/)}
  ⟨x⟩ /ʃ/ → ⟨j/x⟩ /ʃ/ → ⟨j/x⟩ /x/

e.g. _{(Nahuatl: Mēxihco → )} México → Méjico → México
e.g. _{(Catalán: boxus → boix → )} box → boj

^{135. In the latter type [s] (= x preceding consonant), hypercorrection often produces [ks] or [gs] through pedantic school teaching, i.e. sexta [séksta] and extrano [ekstráno]. This is not the popular pronunciation however.}

Arabic [š] (P. xadrez C. aixedres), Latin -PS- (P. C. caixa). In Catalan the [č] is represented normally by tx.¹³⁶

The -X- in Italy generally became [s] (ss), as it did in France, and the popular French orthographic x (paix, and the plurals chateaux, cheveux) simply represent a former final -s or -z written with a peculiar flourish so as to resemble somewhat an x.¹³⁷

The prefix EX- in Italian and Romanian, by apheresis or loss of e- (along with prosthetic e-) was generally reduced to [s] or [z], depending on whether it was followed by a mute or voiced consonant:

• EXPÓNĚRE > Rm. spune [spúne], but It. esporre [espór̃e]

• ESCUTULĀRE > It. scotolare [sk-], Rm. scutara [sk-]

• EXVENTĀRE > It. sventare [zventáre], Rm. zvinta [zv-]; cf. Sard. izventare, C. Pr. esventar [-ez-], and Fr. éventer < OFr. esventer¹³⁸

Before the front vowels e and i, however, Italian generally palatalized the [ks], spelled sce, sci [še, ši].

Examples of standard treatments of -X-, showing the variety of treatments, are:

• EXEMPLU > It. scempio [s-], esempio [ez-], Sp. ejemplo [ex-], P- exemplo [ez-], C. exemple [egs-], Fr. exemple [egz-]

• EXPECTARE > It. aspettare [as-], Sard. istettare ...

1. ...xV... _{(x followed by vowel, naturally inherited from Latin to Spanish)}

<! >

⟨x⟩ /ks/  →  ⟨x⟩ [js]  →  ⟨x⟩ [sj]  →  ⟨x⟩ /ʃ/  →  ⟨x⟩ /ʃ/ ↘  
                                                          ⟨j⟩ /ʃ/  →  ⟨j⟩ /x/
                             ...  →  ⟨j⟩ /ʒ/  →  ⟨j⟩ /ʃ/ ↗ 

Arabic [š] (P. xadrez C. aixedres), Latin -PS- (P. C. caixa). In Catalan the [č] is represented normally by tx.¹³⁶

^{135. In the latter type [s] (= x preceding consonant), hypercorrection often produces [ks] or [gs] through pedantic school teaching, i.e. sexta [séksta] and extrano [ekstráno]. This is not the popular pronunciation however.}

1. ...xV... _{(x followed by vowel, naturally inherited from Latin to Spanish)}
   ⟨x⟩ /ks/ → ⟨x⟩ [js] → ⟨x⟩ [sj] → ⟨x⟩ /ʃ/ → ⟨x⟩ /ʃ/ → ⟨j⟩ /ʃ/ → ⟨j⟩ /x/
... ... ... ... ... → ⟨j⟩ /ʒ/ → ⟨j⟩ /ʃ/ ↗