immemorial
immemorial — 形容詞
- immemorialpositive
- more immemorialcomparative
- most immemorialsuperlative
1. going back so far into the past that nobody alive can remember when it began
遠古；久遠
時間久遠到超出人類記憶範圍
going back so far into the past that nobody alive can remember when it began
From time immemorial, the old beech at the crossroads has marked the boundary between the village and the abbey.
從遠古以來，十字路口那棵老山毛櫸就標記著村莊與修道院的分界。
from time immemorial — used for long-standing landmarks and boundaries
Pim's family had fished these waters since time immemorial.
Pim 的家族自古以來就在這片水域捕魚。
The great oak stood where it had been from time immemorial.
那棵巨大的橡樹從遠古時代就矗立在那裡。
The weathered boulder on the clifftop has stood there since time immemorial, long before the first lighthouse was built.
崖頂那塊風化的巨礫自遠古以來就立在那裡，遠在第一座燈塔建成之前。
文法句型
time immemorial
from time immemorial
since time immemorial
用法筆記
Almost always used in the set phrases 'from time immemorial' and 'since time immemorial.' The word rarely appears outside these constructions.
常見錯誤
2. having existed continuously for so long that no one can remember or record its b
古老；悠久
事物存在極久，起源已不可考
having existed continuously for so long that no one can remember or record its beginning
Feng studied the immemorial customs that shaped every wedding in the mountain villages.
Feng 研究了塑造山區村落每場婚禮的古老習俗。
immemorial + customs — describing traditions passed down across generations
The villagers' immemorial right to gather firewood in the manor woods was finally put into law.
村民在莊園林地撿拾薪柴的古老權利終於被寫入了法律。
The islanders still practise the immemorial custom of lowering a lantern into the sea on the longest night.
島民至今仍遵行著在一年中最長的一夜將燈籠放入海中的古老習俗。
Roya watched the elders perform the immemorial ceremony, every movement exactly as her grandmother had always described it.
Roya 看著長輩們進行古老的儀式，每一個動作都與她祖母一直描述的一模一樣。
- time-honored
emphasises respect and continued practice rather than sheer age
- ancestral
specifically links the thing to forebears or lineage
- age-old
less formal; commonly used for problems, questions, and traditions
文法句型
immemorial + [custom/tradition/right/ritual]
用法筆記
Used before nouns describing long-standing traditions, rights, customs, or qualities. Distinguish from sense 1 (BEYOND MEMORY), which describes the span of time itself rather than the thing that has persisted.