taru-adjective, adverb taking the 'to' particle, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'
Describes people, especially citizens, being scattered or displaced due to war or disaster. Literary and somewhat archaic; often used in historical or formal contexts.
Driven by the flames of war, the people scattered in all directions.
A relief team was dispatched to save the dispersed citizens.
The exact derivation is uncertain; the kanji 乱 (disorder) and 離 (separation) suggest a state of chaotic dispersal.