Derelict
/ˈdɛr.ə.lɪkt/noun
Abandoned, neglected, or left to decay; also a person who is homeless and destitute.
Did you know?In Latin, derelictus is the past participle of *dēlinquere*, and its core idea is not just “leave” but “leave behind, abandon, fail in duty” — a meaning that still haunts the modern word.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leik-
“to leave, abandon”
Latin
Latin
relinquere
“to leave behind, abandon”
Latin
Latin
dēlinquere
“to leave undone; to fail in duty; to offend”
Late Latin
Latin
derelictus
“abandoned, forsaken”
Middle English
English
derelict
“forsaken, abandoned; later, neglected or in ruin”
Explore more surprising origins