It comes from the Latin "supersedēre", which taken literally, means "sit on top of". "Super" = above, on top of. "Sedēre" = to sit.
"Super" is already familiar to English speakers. "Sedēre" is the root of words like sedentary, sedan, sedate, reside, and preside.
The more metaphorical meaning of "supersede" as "replace" developed over time and across languages, but the literal meaning is already fairly close.
It comes from the Latin "supersedēre", which taken literally, means "sit on top of". "Super" = above, on top of. "Sedēre" = to sit.
"Super" is already familiar to English speakers. "Sedēre" is the root of words like sedentary, sedan, sedate, reside, and preside.
The more metaphorical meaning of "supersede" as "replace" developed over time and across languages, but the literal meaning is already fairly close.