Re: Vlachs

 --- John Cowan wrote:
>
> Old Norse also used "valas" for Romans and Romance-speakers; only in
> Britain did the word in the form "wealas" come to refer to Brythonic
> speakers.
This reminds me of something: an old German word for "Italian" is "Welsch".
The 16th century composer Hans Neusidler wrote above one of his lute pieces the
following text: "Hie folget ein Welscher Tanz Wascha Mesa (=passamezzo)"; don't
crack me on orthography.
"Welsch" is of course cognate to Polish "Wl/ochy" (Italy).

Jan


=====
"You know, I used to think it was awful that life was so unfair. Then I thought,
wouldn't it be much worse if life were fair, and all the terrible things that
happen to us come because we actually deserve them? So, now I take great
comfort in the general hostility and unfairness of the universe." --- J.
Michael Straczynski

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