Idioms

time immemorial

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time immemorial

Long before one would be able to remember; the distant past. Our family line has presided over this land since time immemorial. Giant sea turtles have been coming to this spot to mate since time immemorial.

See also: immemorial, time

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

time immemorial

Also, time out of mind. Long ago, beyond memory or recall, as in These ruins have stood here since time immemorial, or His office has been on Madison Avenue for time out of mind. The first expression comes from English law, where it signifies "beyond legal memory," specifically before the reign of Richard I (1189-1199), fixed as the legal limit for bringing certain kinds of lawsuit. By about 1600 it was broadened to its present sense of "a very long time ago." The variant, first recorded in 1432, uses mind in the sense of "memory" or "recall."

See also: immemorial, time

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

time immemorial

used to refer to a point of time so long ago that people have no knowledge or memory of it.

In legal terms in Britain, time immemorial refers to the time up to the beginning of the reign of Richard I in 1189 . A variant of the phrase is time out of mind .

See also: immemorial, time

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

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References in periodicals archive

Kohima (Nagaland) [India], Dec13 ( ANI ): The people of Nagaland have been inherent beekeepers since time immemorial and it's a sustainable source of income for many villagers.

Beekeeping providing sustainable source of livelihood in Nagaland

He said from time immemorial, people have moved in search of new opportunities and better lives.

Int'l Migrants Day to be observed on Dec 18

Well, of course, as with every other device to suck wealth out of the country and secrete it in the hands of the unscrupulous, it's not illegal, and this is the way our masters have behaved since time immemorial, what's to complain about?

Unpatriotic Brexiteers; Letters

SCOTLAND has had its own legal system from time immemorial. The legal system in Wales is recent, and through concepts like 'Cymru'r Gyfraith' (Legal Wales) is becoming more firmly established.

Wales ... we are still here; LETTERS

Duterte would just be doing what the Supreme Court has been doing since time immemorial: Ignoring the Constitution whenever it's convenient to do so.

Ignoring the Constitution: Duterte only following in SC's footsteps

THE Great British pub is a national institution and has been part of our community life since time immemorial.

have a drink to our lost pubs

As the book's introduction states, "Humans have been looking at birds since time immemorial."

Sketching & Illustrating Birds: Professional Drawing Class

All K12 schools in Washington are mandated by a new state law to teach Since Time Immemorial, a curriculum that focuses on the history and culture of the state's 29 federally recognized Native American tribes.

Washington state requires Native American curriculum

Classic stories have been passed on from generation to generation since time immemorial, with legendary storytellers like the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen, Charles Perrault and Aesop.

Children must read fairy tales, readers say

A common is a plot of land designated for usage by all the residents in the town exclusively since time immemorial. Fourteen years ago when it was suggested that the common be turned into a floodlit football pitch a massive petition was raised to oppose it.

Hands off our Common!

Children from time immemorial have called each other names and a professional teacher can deal with this in a firm manner.

Form-filling was a teaching hindrance; FEEDBACK

that from time immemorial the elders have moaned about the young.

LETTER FROM THE PAST

South East Asian regions were under Indian influence since time immemorial.

Proud of culture

Of course, impressionable youngsters have been joining questionable causes since time immemorial. Some commentators have likened it to the days when idealistic young Welshmen went off to fight in the Spanish Civil War.

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