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.
shoal definition: The definition of a shoal is a large group, particularly of fish, or a sandy, shallow area of water. (noun) An example of a shoal is a school of goldfish. An example of a shoal is a sandbar that makes a shallow place in the water...