immortal

Pronunciation: /ɪˈmɔɹtəl/

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: B2 — Upper-Intermediate

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun a person (such as an author) of enduring fame
  2. noun any supernatural being worshipped as controlling some part of the world or some aspect of life or who is the personification of a force
  3. adjective not subject to death

Etymology

From Latin immortālis, from prefix im- (“not”) (from in-) + mortālis (“mortal”) (from mors (“death”), combining form mort- + adjectival suffix -alis), equivalent to im- + mortal. Displaced native undeadly, from Old English undēadlīċ. The term referring to the Persian soldiers was a Calque of Ancient Greek ἀθάνατος (athánatos). One suggestion claimed that "Immortals" were named by the ancient Greeks because wounded soldiers were quickly replaced, while another claimed that it was because Greek informants confused Old Persian *anauša- (“immortal, without death”) with Old Persian *anūšiya- (“companion, royal bodyguard”).

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