beginning; start; first (in line, etc.); origin; such as ...; not to mention ...
to use; to make use of; to utilize; to utilise
ancient times; distant past; antiquity
country in civil war; country disarrayed by war; Warring States period (Japan, China); competition in which there are several evenly matched participants; hotly contested game (match, market, etc.)
period; time; opportunity; chance; age; term (e.g. in office); session (e.g. of parliament)
training; practice; discipline; ascetic practices
Second World War (1939-1945); World War II; WWII; WW2
reassessment; reappraisal; reevaluation; revaluation
experiment; experimentation
origin; source; basis; base; cause; (raw) material; ingredient
genealogy; lineage; family tree; pedigree
continuous; unbroken; ceaseless
survival; survivor; relic
part; portion; glimpse; bit
by nature; by birth; naturally; natural; innate
administration; medication; dosage
very small fraction (of); very small proportion; very small part; tiny bit
old family; old-established family; one's old home; one's childhood home
organization; organisation; structure; construction; system (e.g. railroad, transport, party, etc.); tissue; texture (of a rock)
dispersion; breakup; variance; dispersion
to manufacture; to produce; to raise (crops); to invent; to dream up; to create
having in mind; happening to know (of); idea (of); inkling
glitter; glimmer; sparkle; twinkle; twinkling; glistening
branch family; cadet family; establishing a branch family
all present; all concerned; all of us
to gather; to collect; to assemble
characteristic (of); peculiar (to); inherent (in); eigen-
function; facility; faculty; feature
to reach back into one's memory; to search one's mind; to recall
latest; most recent; nearest (in time)
clear and serene (as a polished mirror and still water)
to stop up; to close up; to stand in the way; to obstruct; to occupy; to fill up
legal force; legally binding force; compelling power; compelling force
to press down; to hold down; to pin down; to suppress (feelings, disorder, opposition, etc.); to repress
absolutely normal; perfectly commonplace; taken for granted
extremely; very; really; super; so
vigorously (ripping, tearing, scratching, etc.); roughly; (eating) with a crunch; stiff; starchy; (working) hard
counterattack; reversal technique
direction; orientation; bearing; course (e.g. of action)