Relict
/ˈrɛl.ɪkt/noun
A surviving remnant of something that has largely disappeared; also an old-fashioned term for a widow.
Did you know?In older English, *relict* could mean “a widow,” from the Latin *relictus* (“left behind”), making it one of those words where survival and abandonment are literally built into the history.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
relictus
“left behind; abandoned”
Late Latin
Latin
relictum
“that which is left behind”
Middle English
English
relicte
“a surviving remnant; a widow”
16th Century
English
relict
“a widow; something remaining after loss or destruction”
Modern English
English
relict
“a surviving remnant of an earlier condition or population”