Foreignness

/ˈfɔːrənəs/ noun

Definition

The quality or state of being foreign; strangeness, unfamiliarity, or the characteristic of belonging to another country or place.

Etymology

From 'foreign' plus the noun-forming suffix '-ness' from Old English. This creates an abstract noun describing the quality of being foreign.

Kelly Says

Philosophers like Heidegger were obsessed with 'foreignness' and 'belonging'—they argued that feeling foreign or out-of-place was actually central to human consciousness, not an accident but part of being aware of oneself.

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