superficial
‘of, affecting, or being on or near the surface’
Lexical development traced from the Tamil root:
E. superficiale, superficiele, superfyciall, superficiall < O.F. superficial, superficiel < La.Lat. superficialis ‘of or pertaining to the surface’ < superficies ‘surface, upper side, top’ < Lat. super ‘above, over, on the top (of), beyond, besides, in addition to’ < (s)uper-+ facies ‘form, face’ < soop < uper < Tamil uppu
Other meanings: Mathematics: of a number: having two and only two prime factors; Anatomy: located just beneath the skin; located close (or closer than a related structure) to the surface of the body or of an organ (contrasted with deep).