the condition of belonging to a particular place or group by virtue of social or ethnic or cultural lineage
"his roots in Texas go back a long way"
"he went back to Sweden to search for his roots"
"his music has African roots"
plural of root
"After years of traveling, she felt a deep pull to return home and reconnect with her ancestral roots."
Ancestry.
In plain English: Roots are the parts of a plant that grow underground and hold it in place while getting water and nutrients from the soil.
"The old oak tree has deep roots that hold it firmly in the ground during storms."
From Old English rōt, originally meaning a plant's underground stem that anchors it to soil and absorbs water. The term later extended metaphorically to denote fundamental principles or origins in various contexts.