By the time anything resembling a language policy was introduced, English had already reached all corners of the globe. For example, English-speaking puritans were not the only Europeans to arrive in North America: Spanish, French, Dutch and German were also widely spoken.
immemorial - long past; beyond the limits of memory or tradition or recorded history; time immemorial. old - of long duration; not new; old tradition; old house; old wine; old country; old friendships; old money.
1. a (1) : the outer or superficial part of an organ or bodily structure (as the kidney, adrenal gland, or cerebellum or a bone); especially: cerebral cortex (2) : the proteinaceous usually pigmented layer of a hair below the cuticle b: the outer part of some organisms (as paramecia). 2.