noun
thousand years; millennium; eternity
Poetic term for a very long time, often implying permanence or an extremely long lifespan. Used in classical contexts, place names, and fixed expressions like 千歳飴.
千歳の時を経た大木が森に立っている。
A great tree that has lived for a thousand years stands in the forest.
この神社は千
This shrine boasts a history of a thousand years.
From 千 (chi, 'thousand') + 歳 (tose, 'years, age'). The reading ちとせ is a classical Japanese compound; the exact historical derivation is uncertain.