[Elecraft] Is CW a Language?

[vze3v8dt at verizon.net]

I've heard (and sent) German CW as well (although I'm somewhat limited in that regard).  

I think that if CW were to be classified as a part of the English language it should then be considered a dialect of it, HI HI!  

>From: Fred Jensen <k6dgw at foothill.net>
>Date: Thu Jan 12 13:21:08 CST 2006
>To: Elecraft Reflector <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
>Subject: [Elecraft] Is CW a Language?

>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.