ancient history

English

Pronunciation

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Noun

ancient history (uncountable)

1. A period of history generally seen as occurring before the Middle Ages, that is, before the fall of the Roman Empire. Includes Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome.
2. (idiomatic) That which happened a long time ago and not worth discussing any more.

   Who cares if he said those things at the beginning of the year? That's ancient history now.

   • 1892, Robert Louis Stevenson, The Wrecker:

     I want to have a notion how we stand about the bankruptcy." "O, that's ancient history," cried Jim.

Translations

period of history

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 古代歷史／古代历史 (gǔdài lìshǐ), 古代历史 (gǔdài lìshǐ)， 古代史 (zh) (gǔdàishǐ), 古史 (zh) (gǔshǐ), 上古史 (zh) (shànggǔshǐ)

• Dutch: oudheid (nl) f, klassieke geschiedenis f
• Finnish: vanhan ajan historia, antiikin historia
• French: Antiquité (fr) f
• German: Alte Geschichte f
• Greek:

  Ancient: ἀρχαιότης f (arkhaiótēs)

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: storia antica (it) f, antichità (it) f
• Portuguese: antiguidade (pt) f
• Russian: исто́рия дре́внего ми́ра f (istórija drévnevo míra), анти́чная исто́рия f (antíčnaja istórija)
• Spanish: Edad Antigua f
• Swedish: antik historia c, gammal historia c
• Ukrainian: please add this translation if you can

not worth discussing any more

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 已經過去的事／已经过去的事, 已经过去的事 (yǐjīng guòqù de shì)

• Dutch: lang geleden, geleden tijd, eeuwen geleden
• Finnish: mennyt (fi), historia (fi)
• French: histoire ancienne (fr) f
• German: schon längst Geschichte f
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: acqua passata f
• Portuguese: águas passadas f pl, passado (pt) m
• Russian: ста́рая исто́рия f (stáraja istórija), де́ло про́шлое n (délo próšloje)
• Spanish: agua pasada (es) f
• Swedish: länge sedan (sv), forna historia
• Ukrainian: please add this translation if you can

See also

• bygones
• water under the bridge