which layer to configure so Alt-x does Meta-x in bash?

["Dan B." <danb@kempt.net>]

What's the right layer to reconfigure so that Alt functions as Meta in bash
command line editing?

Right now, when I try to type Alt-f to execute bash's Meta-f line-editing
function (Forward Word), bash instead inserts a non-ASCII character (the
a-e ligature).  That happens in bash in xterm and in ssh sessions, but not
in bash on a virtual console.

(What I mean by "right layer" above is the layer that probably would have
the fewest unwanted side effects.  For example, on an older system, Alt-f
works as Meta-a in bash, but still inserts the a-e character when typed
while running a command such as "cat" (that is, just echoing typed input
to output), so I don't think I want a solution that completely disables
the non-ASCII character generation.)


Do I want to be looking in bash?  in inputrc?  in xterm?  somewhere else?


Thanks,
Daniel