no matter what; in any case; anyhow
Archaic adverb meaning 'no matter what' or 'in any case'. In modern Japanese, とにかく or いずれにしても are used instead.
とてもかくても、この仕事は明日までに終わらせねばならぬ。
No matter what, I must finish this work by tomorrow.
Archaic compound of とても (even so) and かくても (even thus), both old adverbial forms. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it is the source of the modern とにかく.