From Latin 'in-' (not) + 'mortālis' (mortal), from 'mors' (death) — literally 'not subject to death.'
Living forever; never dying or decaying; deserving to be remembered forever.
From Latin 'immortālis' (undying, imperishable), formed from 'in-' (not) and 'mortālis' (subject to death), from 'mors' (death). The prefix 'in-' negates the root, creating a word that literally means 'not subject to death.' The concept was central to Roman philosophical and religious thought — Cicero used 'immortālis' extensively when discussing
In France, members of the Académie française — the body that guards the French language — are called 'les immortels' (the immortals). This title dates from 1635 when Cardinal Richelieu founded the institution, and it reflects the belief that their work in preserving the language would outlast their individual lives. The irony is palpable: many of the Académie's specific rulings have been forgotten, while the nickname