• relic •
Pronunciation: re-lik • Hear it!
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: 1. An object or idea that has survived history in ways others in their class have not, a remnant. 2. An object or idea cherished for its association with a famous historical or religious figure, a memento.
Notes: Today's word contributor had difficulty distinguishing relict and relic. Well, a relict is something that has survived death or extinction, e.g. a widow or widower, while a relic must have survived history and be culturally valuable. Relic may serve as an adjective, as 'a relic species' and a reliquary is a container for a relic.
In Play: Relics are often associated with religion: "Some people worship the bones of St. Paul preserved in a reliquary while ignoring his thoughts buried away in his writings." However, relics don't have to be concrete objects: "There are those who think that the prejudices against black cats and walking under ladders are relics of past religions."
Word History: This Good Word was borrowed, as usual, from Old French relique, which descended from Latin reliquus "that remains, is left over", from the verb relinquere "to leave behind, relinquish" and ultimate source of English relinquish. This verb comprises re- "back, again" + linquere "to leave", from PIE li(n)kw-, a nasalized form of leikw- "to leave (behind)", source also of Sanskrit rinakti "leaves (behind)", Greek leipein "leave, abandon", Irish lig "to let, permit", German liehen "to loan", Lithuanian likti "to remain" and liekana "relic", and Latvian palikt "to stay". (Today we owe our gratitude to newcomer Diane McGuire for bringing two such subtly differing Good Words to our attention.)
