relic

The story

1. Latin · derived fromreliquiae“remains, relics”
2. Old French · derived fromrelique
3. Middle English · inherited fromrelik
4. English todayrelic

From Middle English relik et al., from Old French relique, from Latin reliquiae (“remains, relics”), from relinquō (“to leave behind, abandon, relinquish”), from re- + linquō (“to leave, quit, forsake, depart from”). Doublet of relict, derelict, and relinquish.

Words from the same roots