Colonial wireless alphabet
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The Colonial Wireless Alphabet is a means of communicating letters via words, thus permitting clarity when communicating spellings over wireless. This is similar to the NATO phonetic alphabet used for radio communications.
The following is a list of words used in the CWA. Those words that are entered into the BSG canon are appropriately indicated via reference links to footnotes. Those words unlikely are in italics, with appropriate footnotes as to why their usage in the CWA is unlikely.
At present, only five out of twenty-six have been identified as canonical to Battlestar Galactica.
| Letter | Word | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| A | Alfa Alpha Template:Ref |
AL FAH |
| B | Bravo Template:Ref | BRAH VOH |
| C | Constellation Template:Ref | CON STELL EH SHUN |
| D | Delta Template:Ref | DELL TAH |
| E | Echo | ECK OH |
| F | Foxtrot | FOKS TROT |
| G | Golf | GOLF |
| H | Hotel | HO TELL HOH TELL |
| I | India Template:Ref | IN DEE AH |
| J | Juliett Template:Ref Juliet |
JEW LEE ETT |
| K | Kilo | KEY LOH |
| L | Lima | LEE MAH |
| M | Mike | MIKE |
| N | Nebula Template:Ref | NEH BEW LAH |
| O | Oscar | OSS CAH |
| P | Papa | PAH PAH |
| Q | Quebec Template:Ref | KEH BECK |
| R | Romeo Template:Ref | ROW ME OH |
| S | Sierra Template:Ref | SEE AIR RAH SEE AIR AH |
| T | Tango | TANG GO |
| U | Uniform | YOU NEE FORM or OO NEE FORM (ICAO, ITU) |
| V | Victor | VIK TAH |
| W | Whiskey | WISS KEY |
| X | X-ray | ECKS RAY (ICAO, ITU) ECKS RAY (FAA) |
| Y | Yankee Template:Ref | YANG KEY |
| Z | Zulu Template:Ref | ZOO LOO |
Notes
- Template:Note The phoentic letter "alpha" is used by Lee Adama after detecting the Cylon Heavy Raider on approach to Galactica, in "Scattered".
- It is likely that the word is spelled "alpha", which is the English spelling of the first letter in the Greek alphabet, given the Greek influence in the series.
- For reasons why "alfa" is unlikely, see the alfa disambiguation page on Wikipedia.
- Template:Note Bravo is used by the marine strikeforce that boarded the Astral Queen in "Bastille Day".
- Template:Note Constellation is used by CPO Galen Tyrol, when reading off the registration number of William Adama's old Mark II Viper in the Mini-Series. It is also used by a member of the marine strikeforce that boarded the Astral Queen in "Bastille Day". ("Constellation team, set.")
- Template:Note Delta is used in "The Hand of God".
- Template:Note India is unlikely as a phonetic spelling of "I", given that it is the name of a country on Earth.
- Template:Note Both Romeo and Juliette/Juliet can be discounted as being used by the Colonials, given that this is a reference to the William Shakespeare play, Romeo and Juliet.
- Template:Note Nebula is used by Galen Tyrol when reading off the registration number of William Adama's old Mark II Viper in the Mini-Series.
- Template:Note The use of "Quebec" is very unlikely, given that it is a province in Canada, which is on Earth.
- Template:Note Sierra is used by Lee Adama prior to engaging the Cylon Heavy Raider on approach to Galactica, in "Scattered".
- Template:Note Yankee is a slang term used to (1) identify an American from the northeast United States, and (2) identify something American by citizens of countries outside the United States of America.
- Template:Note Zulu is unlikely for the reasons listed on the Zulu disambiguation page on Wikipedia. Zulu is also the name of an African tribe.
Additional Notes
- The use of the word "wilco" is unlikely in the CWA. It is similar to "roger", "over", et al. See both: Talk:Colonial Wireless Alphabet and voice procedure.
- The term "Colonial Wireless Alphabet" and its acronym "CWA" are non-canonical, used by this Wiki to identify the Colonial wireless phonetic alphabet.