Jim, N2EY wrote: (CQ is) a two-letter abbreviation like QRZ.
-------------------------- But neither of them are abbreviations (i.e. shortened words). CQ has no credible meaning as an abbreviation that I've ever seen. QRZ is one of the common "Q" codes that are sent as three distinct letters. The Q-codes are a set of signals all their own, neither abbreviations or prosigns. In commercial use, CQ was employed from the earliest days of public message handling. It is true that Marconi's stations were not "public" but private, talking only to other Marconi stations except in time of emergency. After other radio services came about in competition with Marconi, CQ was used as a general call to ANY other station who wished to contact them. In that case it was for the purpose of announcing their availability to ships who wanted to send messages. As you know, the coastal stations open for traffic would sent out a constant CQ call using their "wheel" (For others, the wheel was a mechanical disk with notches around the edge that rotated at a fixed speed. Contacts followed the notches to key the transmitter and send CW automatically). Interspersed with the CQ was a listing of the frequencies on which they were listening for anyone who wanted to call them. I agree about 'keeping the flame alive' and the ease of signals like "ES" for "and". I am also very much aware of how hard the French struggle to keep the French language pure. I suspect they, among all the "western nations" at least, are the most dedicated to maintaining the purity of their language. Yet, common usage keeps creeping in with newly-adopted words and syntax. In our case with Morse or "CW", ES became popular because it was easy and useful. We don't hear parenthesis or asterisks on the CW bands much because they aren't as useful in our casual QSO's. I applaud efforts to preserve CW, but, like any language, what is the "pure form"? I submit that same pressure for change in vocabulary and usage that any language experiences is constant and relentless. It is slowly changing the CW language as we know it. If that keeps More popular and in use, is that such a bad thing? Ron AC7AC _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
