So, What Does the ‘Ham’ in Ham Radio Stand For?

Sometimes, you can’t help but wonder how some things got their name. Porcupines. Balloons. Ham radio. What do you even think of when you imagine a ham radio? When I was a youngster, I always imagined a little cartoon pig sitting there flipping dials while wearing a headset.

Ham radio has been around for a very long time, and it’s showing no signs of going away anytime soon. Now’s a good time to get into it if you haven’t already. But just what does the ham in ham radio stand for, anyway?

“Ham” in the context of radio is a synonym for amateur radio, referring to both the type of radio itself and the operators thereof. Ham is not an acronym and does not stand for anything despite many stories and legends on the internet to the contrary.

Surprise, surprise! I always expected ham to stand for something considering how acronyms are part and parcel of radio operations and most radio operators, amateur or professional, seem to be incredibly fluent in them.

Believe it or not, though, ham isn’t an acronym at all, but the story of how amateur radio came to be referred to as ham radio is a lot more fascinating. You’ll want to hear it, so grab your headset and we’ll get going…

So “Ham” Isn’t an Acronym?

No. Ham is not an acronym, and it never was in reference to radio. Not in reality, despite some persistent legends. And before you ask, it isn’t a “demoted” acronym (anacronym) either, like laser or sonar.

An anacronym is what you get when an acronym gets used so much that it basically just gets turned into an actual, regular word, and many people don’t even know that it originally existed as an acronym or even what it stood for.

For instance, using laser as an example, the original acronym was LASER, standing for “Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation”. What a mouthful!

But back to radios, ham wasn’t an acronym to begin with. It’s always just been… ham!

Read more – Survival Sullivan: https://www.survivalsullivan.com/meaning-of-ham/