[Elecraft] Is CW a Language?

[Fred Jensen]

In the "prosign thread," it has been suggested that Morse Code (which, 
if the world were even remotely fair, would be the Vail Code) is a 
language.  Fortuitously, I was about to have lunch with an old friend 
who retired as a Professor of Linguistics, so I asked him over my patty 
melt, "Does Morse code class as a language?"  He said, "Hmmm, that's 
something I've never thought about.  Probably not.  I would put Morse 
code in the class of phonetic alphabets, where the sounds equate to 
symbols in a symbolic alphabet that can be combined to form elements 
(i.e. 'words') in any language that employs that symbolic alphabet. 
Interesting question, though.  I'll have to think about that."  Never 
expect a short answer from a retired professor.

Above about 20 WPM or so, CW does become sort of a 'language' for me ... 
I hear words, not letters, but the real 'language' is still English of 
course.  The fantastic QSK on my K2 (far better than any other QSK rig I 
have used) only enhances the effect.

As a teenager, several of my buddies and I learned American Morse and 
would get on 80 meters in the evening and use it in a round table ... it 
was really meant for telegraph sounders (clicks and clacks) rather than 
radio (dots and dashes) and was a little awkward on the radio, however 
we all had a burning desire to just fake out other stations.  I like to 
think I've matured some in my choice of amusements since then.  Andrea 
has a slightly different opinion on the subject of male maturity, 
especially mine.

I defer to the historians on the origin(s) of "CQ," but it reminds me of 
the old (likely apochraphyl) story of the ham on AM who lived next to a 
church and had a problem with RFI to the electric organ.  Calling "CQ 
DX" one Sunday morning, he noticed the parishoners madly streaming out 
of the church.  Later that day, he asked the minister what had happened, 
andh the minister replied, "They thought they heard the voice of God 
saying 'Seek You The Exit,' and they left in panic."

73,

Fred K6DGW
Auburn CA CM98lw
K2/100 #4398
KX1 #897
(and a growing inventory of other Elecraft stuff)