An English review follows Bydd y sawl a gafodd y profiad o ddarllen teipysgrif cyfrol Gymraeg newydd cyn iddi fynd drwy''r felin olygyddol, neu a fu''n beirniadu cynnyrch llenyddol mewn eisteddfod, yn gwybod o''r gorau am y diflastod a deimlir - a hynny''n amlach na pheidio bellach - yn wyneb safon ddigalon yr iaith ysgrifenedig.Er bod awdur sigledig ei Gymraeg (ac y mae rhai o''n sr llenyddol diweddar yn gynwysiedig yma) yn gwybod y bydd eraill yn cywiro a thwtio''r gwaith cyn (ac os) y cyhoeddir ef, annerbyniol yw agwedd ffwrdd--hi felly at yr iaith. I gyfiawnhau ei ddiogi gallai''r awdur ddadlau na ddeuai ei gampwaith fyth i ben petai gofyn iddo chwilio Elfennau Gramadeg Cymraeg, Y Treigladau a''u Cystrawen, Y Cywiriadur Cymraeg, Orgraff yr Iaith Gymraeg ac yn y blaen bob tro y codai rhyw anhawster gramadegol, orgraffyddol neu briod-ddulliol. Bellach, wele chwalu''r ddadl honno''n chwilfriw! O dalu deunaw punt namyn hanner can ceiniog (pris bach iawn am y fath drysor) gall yr awdur weld ei anawsterau''n darfod megis seren wib.Ac nid ag awduron yn unig y gwnaeth Rhiannon Ifans y fath gymwynas dderbyniol, ond golygyddion hefyd, nad ydynt hwythau''n anffaeledig o bell ffordd. Rhy fyr o lawer yw''r gofod yma i fanylu ar y cymorth hawdd ei gael sydd rhwng cloriau''r gyfrol hon, ond o geisio dwyn i gof ambell gyfyngder y caf fy hun ynddo weithiau wrth ysgrifennu Cymraeg, chwiliais y cynnwys a dod o hyd i ganllaw sicr i bwyso arni bob tro.Dau beth y soniaf amdanynt - dau beth a fu''n chwilen yn fy mhen ers tro byd - sef enwau lleoedd ac enwau afonydd, ond ofer i raddau helaeth fu fy mhregethu a''m cywiro yn l pob golwg. Yn wahanol i awduron pob iaith arall, am wn i, nid yw awduron Cymraeg (ac yn eu plith y mwyaf profiadol yn aml) yn derbyn y ffaith syml mai un ffurf cywir sydd i enw lle Cymraeg.

Yn y gyfrol hon ceir arweiniad golau a phendant i faes na ddylai fod yn anhawster mawr i neb, ac a all arwain at gysondeb y mae mawr angen amdano wrth ysgrifennu enwau lleoedd. A''r un peth yn achos enwau afonydd. Tristwch i mi yw gweld cymaint o awduron yn anwybyddu''r hen reol o beidio rhoi''r fannod o flaen enw afon, gan ddilyn y dull Saesneg. Ymadroddion hyll yw ''ar lan y Ddyfi'', ''croesi''r Teifi'', ''gerllaw''r Tawe'' yn hytrach nag ''ar lan Dyfi'', ''croesi Teifi'' a ''gerllaw Tawe'' ac yn y blaen. Gallai''r gyfrol hon adfer y glendid a fu, petai''n hawduron yn mynd i''w pocedi a sicrhau bod copi, nid ar bob silff, ond o fewn hyd braich ar bob desg y gweithir wrthi.Mae''n gyfrol hardd, cadarn ei rhwymiad, hyfryd i''w thrafod, ac y mae iddi fynegai ardderchog o fanwl a chlir - un o anhepgorion unrhyw waith fel hyn. Prin a gwelwyd cyhoeddi cyfrol cyn bwysiced hon yn y Gymraeg ers tro byd.Tegwyn Jones* * * Hats off to Rhiannon Ifans, for her brave determination to educate and discipline users of the Welsh language, especially writers, editors, and publishers.

Way back in 1966, I and the learned editor of a prestigious Welsh literary journal bitterly lamented the fact that some contributors were ''bastardizing the language'': bastardeiddio''r iaith Gymraeg . Since then the rot has spread, and worsened, with the synthetic Cymraeg Byw (Living Welsh) attempting to reconcile dialect usages, novels overwhelmed by local terms and extreme colloquialism, and obsession with the primacy of speech. End result: abandonment of traditional models, and of the forms of the standard, literary language evolved since the sixteenth century; functional illiteracy among some habitual Welsh speakers; confusion of registers. Teaching Welsh has focused on spoken forms of the language, with scant concern for structure, grammar, syntax, phonology. It becomes increasingly difficult to speak of, or find ''a standard, literary language''. Patois reigns!Alarmed by this prevailing muddle, and by its dire implications for the sustainability of the millennial Welsh language, the charitable trust Cymdeithas Cymru Fydd has financed and facilitated publication of this comprehensive, authoritative guide, in Welsh, for authors and editors. It emulates, and draws upon, such exemplary works as British Standards 5261 and 3700 , Judith Butcher''s Copy-editing (1999), Janet MacKenzie''s The Editor''s Companion (2004), Hart''s Rules for Compositors and Readers (1982), The Chicago Manual of Style (1993), The Economist Style Guide (2001), The Oxford Dictionary for Writers and Editors (2000), and The Oxford Style Manual (2003). A score of reference works in Welsh and twenty-three relevant websites are also tapped.

Rhiannon Ifans states that this impressive, pioneer work aims to encourage and guide Welsh-language writers and editors to use standard Welsh, efficiently and consistently. Many of the precepts presented by the above-cited English-language guides are relevant to publishing in Welsh, and there are echoes of those guides in Rhiannon Ifans'' recommendations. Most of her work, however, deals with linguistic phenomena uniquely or typically Welsh. Dialectal forms, particularly, demand extensive exposition. Alternatives are given where controversy prevails.The four main sections of the book embrace advice to authors (including the use of electronic media); steering a book through the press; technical aspects of preparing a book for publication; using the Welsh language. This latter section (pp. 180-410) is an exceptionally intelligent and creative survey of the linguistic problems and features to be considered, in terms of spelling, grammar, loanwords, consonantal mutation, syntax, dialect, etc.

Sober and sensible, this fourth section Defnyddio''r Gymraeg (Using Welsh) is a veritable tour de force on the part of Rhiannon Ifans, and should prove to be a positive spur towards a return to a cultured, consistent literary standard.Useful select bibliographies (of works in both English and Welsh), a select list of websites, and a competent analytical index enhance an accomplished work of reference of immense importance for Welsh publishing and for the future health of the Welsh language. We owe Rhiannon Ifans a debt of gratitude! Our own Fowler! Recommended as essential stock for all libraries within Wales, in the Welsh diaspora, and wherever Wales and Welsh are of interest. H. G. A. HughesGellir defnyddio''r adolygiad hwn at bwrpas hybu, ond gofynnir i chi gynnwys y gydnabyddiaeth ganlynol: Adolygiad oddi ar www.gwales.

com , trwy ganiatd Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru. It is possible to use this review for promotional purposes, but the following acknowledgment should be included: A review from www.gwales.com , with the permission of the Welsh Books Council.