Steve Schwartz wrote:

>Robert Peters:
>
>>The old German word "welsch" means "foreign" in general and "French"
>>in particular.  So the quoted phrases are definitely and clearly both
>>anti-foreign and anti-French.
>
>Doesn't it have particular reference to Mediterranean peoples as well?
>Aren't, for example, Italians "waelsch?"

The word can refer to all Mediterreanean peoples, it's true.  But used by
German reactionary writers (and, I apologize, Wagner is a musical genius
AND a reactionary writer) it always means "French" in the first place.
Because France was always seen as the "Erzfeind", the arch enemy.  Thank
God these days are over.

Robert
writing from a Germany not at war with anyone now for 56 years