Mae trafodaeth hir, dan "few" a "less", yn "The New Fowler's Modern English
Usage". Mae'r drafodaeth hon, ar ol egluro'r gwahaniaeth, yn ychwanegu:
Historical Note: The account given above ... is an attempt to describe
current attitudes ... It should be bone in mind, however, that there is
ample historical warrant for the type "less roads, less people" etc.
Hostility to the use emerged in the 18c. ..."
Yn gynharach yn y drafodaeth, dywedir:
"Some additional examples of incorrect uses found in standard sources :
(heading) 'A Million Less School Leavers Won't Mean A Million Less Jobs'
(but 'fewer' in the text)"
I mi, mae hyn yn cadarnhau dwy ragfarn, sef (i) mae'r rhan fwyaf o'r gwallau
a welir ym mhapurau newydd i'w beio ar y bobl sy'n ysgrifennu'r penawdau,
nid y rhai sy'n ysgrifennu'r erthyglau, a (ii) fe welir rhagor o ddefnydd o
"less" oherwydd ei fod yn fyrrach na "fewer" ac yn haws ei gynnwys mewn
penawdau papur newydd.
Rhaid imi ddweud, er hyn i gyd, mai fy nglust oedd yn tynnu fy sylw at yr
ymadrodd gwreiddiol, nid fy ngwybodaeth o'r rheolau.
Ann
----- Original Message -----
From: "Berwyn Jones" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, September 15, 2004 8:54 AM
Subject: Re: HDW (Heat Declared Winner)
> Er nad lle i drafod rheolau'r Saesneg yw w-t-c, mae'n werth nodi mai rheol
> wneud yw rhoi 'fewer' yn lle 'less'. Clywais rywun yn sôn mai rhyw ficer
> 'ddyfeisiodd' y rheol yn y ddeunawfed ganrif ac nad oes iddi sail gadarn,
> fel y dengys y dyfyniad hwn a godais o'r we (sylwer ar y geiriau mewn
> cromfachau yn y trydydd paragraff):
>
> A traditional rule of English usage holds that less should be used only of
> uncountable things, that is, things that can be measured but not counted
as
> discrete units. Fewer, on the other hand, should be used only of things
> that can be counted: "fewer people," "fewer cars."
> According to this rule, less should modify plural nouns only when they
> suggest combination into a unit, group, or aggregation. Thus "less than
> three miles" (with "three miles" being a single distance, not three
> individual miles), "less than $50" (fifty dollars as a sum of money, not
> fifty one-dollar bills).
>
> In actual usage, fewer almost always adheres to the traditional rule; the
> "problem" is that less is often used with countable things. (It is worth
> mentioning here that the traditional rule has little basis in reality;
less
> has been used with countables since the ninth century, and such use is
> easily found in the works of major writers throughout the history of
English
> literature. Why the rule got adopted with such intensity is an interesting
> question, but for our purposes is beside the point.)
>
> Rwy'n dyfynnu hwn am fwy nag un rheswm, sef bod rhaid bod yn ofalus wrth
> haeru bod hwn-a-hwn yn ramadegol gywir a bod y llall yn anghywir. Dyw
> gramadegwyr ddim yn anffaeledig (e.e. amser dyfodol - nid presennol - sydd
i
> ffurf gryno'r ferf yn Gymraeg, ond does fawr o neb wedi bod yn ddigon dewr
i
> herio John Morris-Jones ar y pwnc).
>
> Berwyn
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ann Corkett" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: "Berwyn Prys Jones" <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Tuesday, September 14, 2004 8:35 PM
> Subject: Re: HDW (Heat Declared Winner)
>
>
> Wn i ddim am y Gymraeg, ond oni fyddai "six or fewer" yn well na "six or
> less"?
>
> Ann
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Puw, John" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Tuesday, September 14, 2004 3:57 PM
> Subject: Re: HDW (Heat Declared Winner)
>
>
> >
> > Y Cyflymaf fydd Gyntaf?
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Saunders, Tim [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> > Sent: 14 September 2004 15:53
> > To: Androw Falc'hun; Angharad; Ann W; Annes; Barry; Berwyn; Beryl;
Bethan;
> Bryn; Cathrin; Catrin P; Ceri; Dafydd L; Dafydd T; Dai T; David S; Dean;
> Diarmuid; Dilwyn; Don Patrizio; Dyfed; Eirian; Elin; Eric H; Gareth B;
> Geraint; Glenys; Gogoniant; Gorwel; Heledd; Helen S; Howard; Hywel H;
Ianto;
> Ifan Glyn; John; Puw, John; John W; Jonathan; Laurence; Lowri; Magi L;
Meg;
> Meic H; Meinir; Meleri H H; Mererid; Michael; Muiris; Ned; Neil; Nerys;
> Norman; Rhian; Rhisiart; Rhys; Saunders, Tim; Siân; Steve H; Velox; Wyn H
> > Subject: HDW (Heat Declared Winner)
> >
> > Gyfeillion mwyn ac athrylithgar,
> >
> > Heats of six or less swimmers will be swum and no final.
> > The times of all the swimmers are recorded and the fastest of all the
> swimmers is declared the winner.
> >
> >
> > Syniadau syberw? Cynseiliau call? Awgrymiadau awchus? Dyfaliadau
doethion?
> >
> > Yn iach,
> >
> >
> > Tim
> >
> > ----------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Y mae yno ryu ystyr hut
> > Y Pedeir Keinc
> >
> > Penetrators permitted into the museomound free. Welsh and the Paddy
> Patkinses, one shelenk!
> > James Joyce, Finnegans Wake
> >
> > Fæces tauri omnia vincunt
> > P. Fastidius Librovorus
> >
> > -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> > *F*O*R*Z*A***P*A*L*E*R*M*O*!
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
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sy'n
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lledaenu,
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> >
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