The word 'supplant' originates from the Latin verb supplantare, meaning 'to trip up' or 'to overthrow by tripping the heels'. This Latin term is a compound of the prefix sub- (meaning 'under') and planta (meaning 'the sole of the foot'). The literal image is of placing one's foot under another's to cause them to stumble and fall. Over time, this vivid physical action evolved into the modern metaphorical sense of usurping a position or replacing someone, typically through cunning or force, thereby causing their figurative downfall.

Structure: sup + plant - sup: From Latin sub- (under, below). A prefix indicating position or substitution. - plant: From Latin plantare (to fix in place, to plant). The verbal root.