The Meaning of SOS

SOS is the distress signal, and the message for help, which is used all over the world.

In the Morse code, SOS is composed of three short, three long, and three short signals, that are very easy to input and remember.

At the beginning of the introduction of the Morse code, CQD (call to quarters, distress) was used as the distress signal.

However, in 1906, the new signal SOE, which was proposed by Germany, had been adopted as the universal distress signal due to the intelligibility.

Furthermore, 'E' is one short signal, and it was tended to fail to hear, so SOE became SOS.

It is sometimes referred to as the abbreviation of "save our souls" or "save our ship," however, actually these letters have no meaning.

The etymology is just because it's easy to input and recognize SOS.

SOSは、世界中で用いられている遭難信号、および助けを求めるメッセージです。

モールス信号では3短点、3長点、3短点で構成され、覚えやすく打ちやすい信号です。

無線信号が実用化された頃は、遭難信号としてCQD（call to quarters, distress）が使われていました。

しかし1906年、世界共通の遭難信号として、聞き取りやすさからドイツが提案したSOEが採択されることになりました。

さらに、Eは1短点で聞き逃す恐れがあることから、SOSに変化したそうです。

SOSは「save our souls, save our ship」の略と言われることもありますが、実際にはモールス信号で打ちやすく聞き取りやすいというだけで、文字に意味はありません。