Derelicta

/dɛrəˈlɪktə/ noun

Definition

In legal terms, property or goods that have been abandoned by their owner and are therefore unclaimed; plural or Latin form referring to derelicts or abandoned items.

Etymology

From Latin 'derelictus' (abandoned, forsaken), used in maritime and property law to describe goods abandoned at sea or on land with no owner claiming them.

Kelly Says

Maritime law has a whole category for 'derelicta'—ships and cargo abandoned at sea—and the first person to claim them could legally become their owner, which led to wild salvage operations and legal battles.

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