'W > elsh Americans' on this list will have sometime), you will come across many s > igns to towns in English when there is a perfectly good (and older) Welsh nam > e for the town. You will, from time to time, find them sprayed over with a re > d symbol, something like a wavy arrow. This is the symbol of 'Cymdeithas yr I > aith'[The Society of the Language], a group set up to promote the Welsh langu > age and to defend its rights. > They are largely ignored. Please remember that the most Welsh people do not s > peak Welsh, and to be perfectly honest, don't care. There was a recent furore > about the Welsh language becoming compulsory in Welsh schools - I missed it 'wavy arrow' = Tafod y Ddraig ' They are largely ignored' - mae'n rhaid i mi anghytuno. Heb waith Cymdeithas yr Iaith (CIY) ni fuasai llawer o'r ddatbygiadau yn safle'r iaith mewn defnydd swyddoogol wedi eu cyflawni. Ar lefel arall mae unrhyw weithred sydd yn codi sylw at yr iaith werth ei gefnogi. Er enghraifft fe fu CYI yn picedu ac yn codi deiseb yn erbyn diffyg polisi dwy-ieithog Marks and Spencers yng Nhymru. Bu i M&S wrthod rhoi arwyddion dwy-ieithog yn eu siopau yng Nghymru er iddynt wneud hyn mewn rhannau o 'wledydd' eraill ble mae iaith lleiafrifol yn cael eu siarad er engrhaifft Catalonia a Fflemeg. Yr wythnos yma mae M&S wedi newid eu meddwl 'due to public demand'. M&S 0 CYI 1. Fel arwydd o ddiffyg dealltwriaeth am yr iaith yng Nghymru dyma sgwrs a gefais i ar biced cangen Llundain o CYI y tu allan i brif adeilad M&S yn Baker St. Gwiethiwr M&S, yn yr adran gwneud arwyddion > 'it's not easy you know' Y Ni >"you mean its expensive?" Fo > "Erm yes, and anyway then you'd have to put up signs in Hindu and all sorts" Y Ni > "Don't you think there is a difference between Hindu and Welsh?" Fo > "Not really" Y Ni > "LIKE IT IS THE INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE OF WALES!" Fo > "erm yes i suppose there is. i'm running a little late....." Efallai nad ydych yn gallu cytuno gyda rhai o dactegau CYI ond fedrwch bydd a dweud eu bod yn cael eu hanwybyddu. Dewi Dewi Lewis ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Davy Faraday Research Laboratory Labordy Ymchwil Davy Faraday Royal Institution of GB Y Sefydliad Brenhinnol London Llundain dewi@ricx.ri.ac.uk (+44) 0171 409 2992 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Mae fy nhethau yn ffrwydro a mwynhad