'surface-level' originates from the combination of 'surface' and 'level', where 'surface' meant 'the outermost layer' and 'level' referred to 'a specific height or position'.

'surface' and 'level' have been used in English since the Middle Ages, with 'surface' coming from the Old French 'surface' and 'level' from the Old French 'livelle'.

Initially, 'surface-level' referred to the literal level of a surface, but over time it evolved to mean 'superficial' or 'not in-depth'.