Etymology

derelict

de·re·lict
D2E1R1E1L1I1C3T1

Today it means: Given up by the guardian or owner; abandoned, forsaken. Full definition →

Latin dērelictus ← Proto-Italic *linkʷō ← Proto-Indo-European *linékʷti
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*de
  2. Proto-Indo-European*déh₁
  3. Proto-Italic*dē
  4. Latindē
  5. Latindē-
  6. Proto-Italic*wre-
  7. Latinre-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*leykʷ-
  9. Proto-Indo-European*linékʷti
  10. Proto-Italic*linkʷō
  11. Latinlinquō
  12. Latinrelinquō
  13. Latindērelictus
  14. English todayderelict

The adjective and verb are a learned borrowing from Latin dērelictus (“(completely) abandoned, deserted, forsaken; discarded”), the perfect passive participle of dērelinquō (“to abandon, desert, forsake; to discard”), from dē- (prefix meaning ‘away from; completely, thoroughly’) + relinquō (“to abandon, desert, forsake, leave (behind); to depart (from); to give up, relinquish”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *leykʷ- (“to leave”). Doublet of relict, relic, and relinquish. The noun is derived from the adjective.

Words from the same roots

Proto-Indo-European*leykʷ- all →

loanlendreliquary

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.