time immemorial
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Fossil Word
Puzzle #8 · June 9, 2025
The word immemorial has been a part of the English language for so long no one can remember when it started - it's from time immemorial, which is what we say to mean, it's so old, it seems like it has been there forever.
But the word immemorial almost never appears other than in this exact phrase, time immemorial. Therefore the word immemorial is considered to be a fossil word. It isn't otherwise extinct.
But the word immemorial almost never appears other than in this exact phrase, time immemorial. Therefore the word immemorial is considered to be a fossil word. It isn't otherwise extinct.
Fossil Word
The word immemorial has been a part of the English language for so long no one can remember when it started - it's from time immemorial, which is what we say to mean, it's so old, it seems like it has been there forever.
But the word immemorial almost never appears other than in this exact phrase, time immemorial. Therefore the word immemorial is considered to be a fossil word. It isn't otherwise extinct.
But the word immemorial almost never appears other than in this exact phrase, time immemorial. Therefore the word immemorial is considered to be a fossil word. It isn't otherwise extinct.
Puzzle Appearances
The expression time immemorial has appeared in 1 puzzle:
- Puzzle #8 on June 9, 2025
Rate of Appearance in English Language Print
Google's Ngram project shows how often a pair of words has appeared in print every year since the 1800's.
Data from Google Books Ngram Viewer. Licensed under CC BY 3.0.
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