To pull something up from the ground, especially a plant with its roots; to force someone to leave their home or familiar place.
From 'up' (away from ground) plus 'root.' The metaphorical meaning (removing from a place of belonging) developed in the 1600s and became especially meaningful when describing forced migration.
When migrants and refugees use the word 'uprooted,' they're using plant biology as poetry—it's not metaphorical for them, but literal to how displacement feels: like being torn from soil and struggling to replant.
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