remanent adj.

early 15c., remainen, "be left after the removal or loss of a part, number, or quality; survive," from Anglo-French remayn-, Old French remain- (as in il remaint "it remains"), stressed stem of remanoir "to stay, dwell, remain; be left; hold out," from Latin remanere "to remain, to stay behind; be left behind; endure, abide, last" (source also of Old Spanish remaner, Italian rimanere), from re- "back" (see re-) + manere "to stay, remain" (from PIE root *men- (3) "to remain").

Also from early 15c. as "continue" in someone's charge or possession; continue in a certain place or condition." From early 15c. in mathematics. Related: Remained; remaining.

"remaining part or quality, that which is left or remains," late 14c., contraction of remenant, remanent, remenaunt (c. 1300) "the remainder," from Old French remanant "rest, remainder, surplus," noun use of present participle of remanoir "to remain" (see remain (v.)).

Specific sense of "end of a piece of ribbon, drapery, cloth, etc." (that which remains after the last cutting of a bolt or web) is recorded from mid-15c. As an adjective, "remaining, left," 1540s. An Old English word for "remnant" was endlaf.