'deracinate' originates from French, specifically the word 'déraciner', where the prefix 'dé-' meant 'away/from' and 'racine' meant 'root'.

'deracinate' changed from the French word 'déraciner', ultimately from Latin elements related to 'radix' (root), and was adopted into modern English as 'deracinate'.

Initially it meant 'to pull up by the roots' (literally), but over time it evolved to include the figurative meaning 'to remove from one's native environment or cultural roots'.