relic

Where does the word "relic" come from? It comes from Latin reliquiae, passing through Old French before entering English (1200s).

Relic’s story begins in Latin: reliquiae meant “remains.” From 'relinquere', to leave behind, the root of 'relinquish'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as relique. Bones and belongings of saints were venerated. It reached English by 1200s as relic. Applied to any survival from the past. Today, relic means an object surviving from an earlier time.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient reliquiae "remains", from 'relinquere', to leave behind, the root of 'relinquish'.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval relique "sacred remains", bones and belongings of saints were venerated.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1200s relic "sacred object", applied to any survival from the past.