Interjection: 'chang'. What does it mean?

[Gilbert]

Is 'chang' an interjection? It is used in a sentence like this:

'Chang', the radio said in answer. "Our digging crew will be out before morning.'

(P.K. Dick, The Counter-Clock)

[Casiopea]

Is 'chang' an interjection? It is used in a sentence like this:

'Chang', the radio said in answer. "Our digging crew will be out before morning.'

(P.K. Dick, The Counter-Clock)

Gilbert, I believe, given the context, that 'Chang' is not an interjection, but the name of a person:

"Chang, our digging crew will be out before morning."

[Gilbert]

Well, could be. I guess you mean the operator's name, because the name of the man who can actually hear the sentence doesn't sound Chinese-like

But thank you, anyway.

[Casiopea]

Well, could be. I guess you mean the operator's name, because the name of the man who can actually hear the sentence doesn't sound Chinese-like

But thank you, anyway.

Well, hmm. Dang is an interjection. It stands for May god damn it.

By the way, what if the operator were Ms. Chang?

[Gilbert]

I hope so. Because I just can't get another reasonable explanation.

It must the name of the operator. Anyway, why didn't he say for example: "Chang speaking"? Is it usual to answer the call this way?

[Casiopea]

It must the name of the operator. Anyway, why didn't he say for example: "Chang speaking"? Is it usual to answer the call this way?

'Chang', the radio said in answer. "Our digging crew will be out before morning.'

Oh, I see. Well, this is how I have interpreted that part of the dialogue:

Dialogue
Max is speaking with Pat Chang on the radio

Max: Chang, our digging crew will be out before morning.
Pat Chang: Max, that's great news. I'll have the engineers prepare the site.

The way I see it, neither "Chang" nor "Max" are interjections. They are introductory elements; they are the names of the people who are speaking to each other on the radio. For example,

Hey, John, is this your book?

'Hey' is an interjection, whereas 'John' is the name of the person being spoken to.

In other words,

The radio said in answer, "Chang, [my dear friend], our digging crew will be out before morning."

[Gilbert]

I'm sorry to say so, but: if Chang were the name, it would the name of the man who is speaking, i.e. Chang says "Chang, [like "Chang speaking"], our digging crew..." The other guy is Joseph Tinbane. And what is more, he works as a police officer, that's why I suppose it is quite unsuitable to begin such a formal dialog with a personal name...

[Casiopea]

I'm sorry to say so, but: if Chang were the name, it would the name of the man who is speaking, i.e. Chang says "Chang, [like "Chang speaking"], our digging crew..." The other guy is Joseph Tinbane. And what is more, he works as a police officer, that's why I suppose it is quite unsuitable to begin such a formal dialog with a personal name...

Sorry. (I'm laughing at my own stupidity.) You're right, of course. I overlooked the punctuation, specifically the single quotation marks around the word Chang:

'Chang', the radio said in answer.

'Chang' is what's called onomatopoeia: a word associated with a sound. For example,

'Bang', the gun said in answer.
'Ring', the phone said in answer.

Again, my apologies. Please don't let my stupidity scar you for life.

[Gilbert]

Well, thanks a lot, now I can see I was right Although I still don't know what does this "sound" mean. Another piece of information: the "chang" isn't the beginning of the dialog, actually, there's has been a sentence said by the man #1. If it were the beginning, I would take it as a kind of noise of the mike and all, but in this case, I don't have a notion.

[Casiopea]

Well, thanks a lot, now I can see I was right Although I still don't know what does this "sound" mean. Another piece of information: the "chang" isn't the beginning of the dialog, actually, there's has been a sentence said by the man #1. If it were the beginning, I would take it as a kind of noise of the mike and all, but in this case, I don't have a notion.

Oh, no! Really?

Please send us that portion of the dialogue.