Literary notes about date (AI summary)
Writers have long employed the word "date" to serve multiple narrative functions—from pinpointing exact moments in time to evoking an era or even hinting at cultural artifacts. It is frequently used to establish a precise historical marker, as when a document is signed on a specific day [1] or when events are dated in relation to significant milestones like accessions or deaths [2, 3]. At times, the term emphasizes longevity or antiquity, suggesting that an object or practice is of "ancient date" [4, 5], while in other contexts it subtly contrasts the old with the new by describing something as notably current or modern [6, 7]. This layered use enriches the text by merging timekeeping with commentary on historical context, thereby deepening the reader’s engagement with the narrative’s temporal landscape [8, 9].
- His signature as secretary to the Council of Florence is found under the date of 1273.
— from The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri: The Inferno by Dante Alighieri - We put his name on it and his accession date, 1066.
— from What Is Man? and Other Essays by Mark Twain - And there he must have died, though the date of his death is unknown.
— from Gargantua and Pantagruel by François Rabelais - I have seen several of these sacrificial pillars of stone of very ancient date.
— from Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan, v. 1 of 3 by James Tod - But it is, for all that, not necessarily later in date.
— from A History of Sanskrit Literature by Arthur Anthony Macdonell - [6] la maquinaria más moderna , the most up-to-date machinery .
— from Heath's Modern Language Series: The Spanish American Reader by Ernesto Nelson - Email contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official page at http://www.pglaf.org
— from The Rámáyan of Válmíki, translated into English verse by Valmiki - Henry’s passion must date therefore from 1526.
— from The Love Letters of Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn; With Notes by King of England Henry VIII - Figure 17.—1783: Detail of cabinetmaker's dividers showing name and date.
— from Woodworking Tools 1600-1900 by Peter C. Welsh
