who do you feel closer to? Your linguistic relatives, or your neighbours?

**Jana** · 11-08-2019, 07:47 AM

Question is basically about Pan-nationalism (like Pan-Slavicism, Pan-Germanism, Pan-Turkism etc) vs regional solidarity.
For example: let's put aside neighbours who speak similar language from same language family, as most will feel closest to them, naturally. (for example Slovaks to Czechs).

Question is: do you feel closer to your neighbours who are speaking unrelated language, or do you feel closer to further away nation who speak similar language as your own?
(for example Romanians and Italians)

I am curious how do TA members feel.

**~~Kamal900~~** · 11-08-2019, 07:53 AM

Well, even though I'm Arab, I feel more closer to the South and SE Asians here than say to the Lebanese or Syrians and that's no exaggeration. I feel much more alienated in Lebanon than here in the UAE. Despite it's problems and all, Arabia is still my home.

**Jana** · 11-08-2019, 07:59 AM

Originally Posted by Toppo900

Well, even though I'm Arab, I feel more closer to the South and SE Asians here than say to the Lebanese or Syrians and that's no exaggeration. I feel much more alienated in Lebanon than here in the UAE. Despite it's problems and all, Arabia is still my home.

Are south and southeast asians familiar/already long settled in UAE?

**FinalFlash** · 11-08-2019, 08:02 AM

I feel closest to my own kin. After that, I judge my closeness off of an individual basis.

**~~Kamal900~~** · 11-08-2019, 08:03 AM

Originally Posted by Feiichy

Are south and southeast asians familiar/already long settled in UAE?

They're a very familiar site, yes. They also can be found in Oman too since me and my brothers were born there but migrated to the UAE 19 years ago.

**Jana** · 11-08-2019, 08:04 AM

Example: Ossetians, do they feel closer to other North Caucasians (who speak very different languages), or they feel closer to other Iranics (who are not their neighbours, but speak related languages?)
This kind of comparison is what I have in mind.

**~~Maintenance~~** · 11-08-2019, 08:10 AM

Nobody

**~~Root~~** · 11-08-2019, 08:14 AM

Originally Posted by Feiichy

Example: Ossetians, do they feel closer to other North Caucasians (who speak very different languages), or they feel closer to other Iranics (who are not their neighbours, but speak related languages?)
This kind of comparison is what I have in mind.

Most Ossetians whom I know feel closer to Karachay-Balkar people

**kietosarmeno** · 11-08-2019, 08:34 AM

Originally Posted by Root

Most Ossetians whom I know feel closer to Karachay-Balkar people

Ingushetia, Chechnya, and Dagestan up in the northeast corner really are their own thing. You especially notice the difference culturally from Georgia or Armenia.