Quote Originally Posted by Lurina View Post
Emet explicitly says, "No one could remember it (the original Ethirys). Just fleeting recollections of an all-too-familiar world."

"Fleeting" means "momentary" or "almost nonexistent". As in, the memories of their previous lives were almost completely gone.
Ok fair enough, that is true that emet said that and they wouldn't remember most of their lives, but it also doesn't necessarily mean they lost who they were and effectively became new people. Using a really life comparison, would you consider someone who has amnesia and can only occasionally remember parts of their past in brief and confusing flashbacks to have died and become a new, unique, person?

And to use an in-game analogy what about the people of Eorzea after the seventh umbral calamity? They were only able to vaguely remember the events surrounding Bahamut's return and yet they are still the same people. I know its not the same scale, not even close, but the principle is still the same assuming that is what happened with the sundering.