c.1300, "to trip up, overthrow, defeat, dispossess," from Old French supplanter "to trip up, overthrow," from Latin supplantare "trip up, overthrow," from sub "under" + planta "sole of the foot" (see plant (n.)). Meaning "replace one thing with another" first recorded 1670s. Interesting sense evolution parallel in Hebrew akabh "he beguiled," from akebh "heel."