Online Etymology Dictionary

sunscreen (n.): 1738 as an object to block the sun's rays, from sun (n.) + screen (n.). As a type of lotion applied to the skin, by 1954.
sunset (n.): late 14c., from sun (n.) + set (v.). Perhaps from a Middle English subjunctive such as before the sun set. Old English had sunnansetlgong "sunset," while sunset meant "west." Figurative use from c. 1600. To ride off into the sunset (1963) is from the stereotypical ending of cowboy movies.
sunshade (n.): 1842, from sun (n.) + shade (n.). Old English had sunsceadu "veil."
sunshine (n.): mid-13c., from sun (n.) + shine (n.). Old English had sunnanscima "sunshine;" while sunscin meant "a mirror, speculum." Meaning "happy person who brightens the lives of others" is from 1942. Sunshine law in reference to U.S. open-meeting legislation is recorded from 1972, from the notion of shining the light of public access on deliberations formerly held behind closed doors. Related: Sunshiny.
sunspot (n.): also sun-spot, 1849, in astronomy, from sun (n.) + spot (n.). Earlier "a spot on the skin caused by exposure to the sun" (1818).
sunstroke (n.): 1807, from sun (n.) + stroke (n.); translating French coup de soleil. Related: Sun-stricken; sunstruck.
suntan (v.): also sun-tan, 1821, from sun (n.) + tan (v.). Related: Suntanned; suntanning. As a noun from 1888. Originally an indication of outdoor laboring; considered as an enhancement to beauty or proof of idleness from 1920s: F.L. Allen, chronicler of the decade ("Only Yesterday"), notes 1929 as the year that "on the sands of a thousand American beaches, girls pulled down the shoulder-straps of their bathing suits to acquire fashionably tanned backs ...."
sup (v.1): "eat the evening meal," c. 1300, from Old French super, soper "dine, sup, dip bread in soup or wine, sop up" (Modern French souper), which probably is from soupe "broth" (see soup), until recently still the traditional evening meal of French workers.
sup (v.2): "to sip, to take into the mouth with the lips," Old English supan (West Saxon), suppan, supian (Northumbrian) "to sip, taste, drink, swallow" (strong verb, past tense seap, past participle sopen), from Proto-Germanic *supanan (source also of Old Norse supa "to sip, drink," Middle Low German supen, Dutch zuipen "to drink, tipple," Old High German sufan, German saufen "to drink, booze"), from PIE *sub-, possibly an extended form of root *seue- (2) "to take liquid" (source also of Sanskrit sunoti "presses out juice," soma; Avestan haoma, Persian hom "juice;" Greek huetos "rain," huein "to rain;" Latin sugere "to suck," succus "juice, sap;" Lithuanian sula "flowing sap;" Old Church Slavonic soku "sap," susati "suck;" Middle Irish suth "sap;" Old English seaw "sap").
sup-: assimilated form of sub- before -p-.
super (adj.): "first-rate, excellent," 1837, from prefix in superfine (1680s), denoting "highest grade of goods," from Latin super "above, over, beyond" (see super-). Extended usage as a general term of approval is 1895 slang, revived by 1967. Rhyming reduplication form super-duper first attested 1940. Super Bowl attested from 1966; Super Glue from 1975; as a verb by 1983.
super-: word-forming element meaning "above, over, beyond," from Latin super-, from adverb and preposition super "above, over, on the top (of), beyond, besides, in addition to," from *(s)uper-, variant form of PIE *uper "over" (source also of Sanskrit upari, Avestan upairi "over, above, beyond," Greek hyper, Old English ofer "over," Gothic ufaro "over, across," Gaulish ver-, Old Irish for), comparative of root *upo "under" (see sub-). In English words from Old French, it appears as sur-. The primary sense seems to have shifted over time from usually meaning "beyond" to usually meaning "very much," which can be contradictory. E.g. supersexual, which is attested from 1895 as "transcending sexuality," from 1968 as "very sexual."
super-ego (n.): also superego, "that part of the psyche which controls the impulses of the id," 1924, as a translation of German über-Ich; see super- and ego.
superable (adj.): "surmountable," 1620s, from Latin superabilis "that may be overcome," from superare "to overcome, surmount, go over, rise above," from super "over" (see super-) + -abilis (see -able). The negative formation insuperable is older and more common and superable may be a back-formation from it.
superabundance (n.): early 15c., superaboundance, from Late Latin superabundantia, from present participle stem of Latin superabundare, from super (see super-) + abundare (see abound). Related: Superabundant; superabound.
superannuate (v.): 1640s, "render obsolete," back-formation from superannuated. Meaning "impair or disqualify by old age" is from 1690s. Related: Superannuating.
superannuated (adj.): 1630s, "obsolete, out of date;" 1740, "retired on account of old age," from Modern Latin superannuatus, alteration (perhaps by influence of annual) of Medieval Latin superannatus (which meant "more than a year old" and was used of cattle), from Latin super "beyond, over" (see super-) + annus "year" (see annual (adj.)). Earlier in same sense was superannate (c. 1600), from Medieval Latin superannatus. Compare French suranner.
superannuation (n.): 1650s, noun of action from superannuate.
superb (adj.): 1540s, "noble, magnificent" (of buildings, etc.), from Latin superbus "grand, proud, splendid; haughty, vain, insolent," from super "above, over" (see super-). The second element perhaps is from PIE root *bhe- "to be." General sense of "very fine" developed by 1729. Related: Superbious (c. 1500); superbly.
supercalifragilisticexpialidocious: from song in 1964 Disney movie version of "Mary Poppins;" subject of a lawsuit based on earlier song title "Supercalafajalistickexpialadojus" (1949), but other versions of the word also were in circulation.
supercede (v.): see supersede. Related: Superceded; superceding.
supercharge (v.): 1919, originally of internal combustion engines, from super- + charge (v.). Related: Supercharged (1876); supercharger; supercharging.
superciliary (adj.): 1732, from Modern Latin superciliaris, from supercilium (see supercilious).
supercilious (adj.): 1520s, "lofty with pride, haughtily contemptuous," from Latin superciliosus "haughty, arrogant," from supercilium "haughty demeanor, pride," literally "eyebrow" (via notion of raising the eyebrow to express haughtiness), from super "above" (see super-) + second element akin to cilium "eyelid," related to celare "to cover, hide," from PIE root *kel- (2) "to conceal" (see cell).
Since cilium is more recent than supercilium, the former can be interpreted as a back-formation to the latter .... If indeed derived from the root *kel- 'to hide', we must still assume that a noun *kilium 'eyelid' existed, since the eyelid can 'hide' the eye, whereas the eyebrow does not have such a function. Thus, supercilium may originally have meant 'what is above the cilium'. [Michiel de Vaan, "Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages," Leiden, 2008]
Related: Superciliously; superciliousness.
supercilium (n.): the eyebrow, 1670s, from Latin supercilium "an eyebrow; a ridge, summit;" figuratively "haughtiness, arrogance, pride" (see supercilious).
supercomputer (n.): 1966, from super- + computer.
superconductor (n.): 1913, translation of Dutch suprageleider, coined by Dutch physicist Heike Kamerlingh Onnes (1853-1926). See super- + conductor.
supercontinent (n.): 1963, from super- + continent (n.).
supererogation (n.): 1520s, "performance of more than duty requires," in Catholic theology, from Late Latin supererogationem (nominative supererogatio) "a payment in addition," noun of action from past participle stem of supererogare "pay or do additionally," from Latin super "above, over" (see super-) + erogare "pay out," from ex- "out" (see ex-) + rogare "ask, request" (see rogation).
supererogatory (adj.): 1590s, from Medieval Latin supererogatorius, from supererogat-, stem of supererogare "pay or do additionally" (see supererogation).
superficial (adj.): late 14c., in anatomical and mathematical uses, "of or relating to a surface," from Late Latin superficialis "of or pertaining to the surface," from superficies "surface, upper side, top," from super "above, over" (see super-) + facies "form, face" (see face (n.)). Meaning "not deep, without thorough understanding, cursory, comprehending only what is apparent or obvious" (of perceptions, thoughts, etc.) first recorded early 15c. (implied in superficially "not thoroughly").
superficiality (n.): 1520s, from superficial + -ity.
superfluity (n.): late 14c., from Old French superfluite "excess" (12c.), from Medieval Latin superfluitatem (nominative superfluitas), from superfluus (see superfluous).
superfluous (adj.): early 15c. (earlier superflue, late 14c.), from Latin superfluus "unnecessary," literally "overflowing, running over," from superfluere "to overflow," from super "over" (see super-) + fluere "to flow" (see fluent). Related: Superfluously; superfluousness.
superfly (adj.): "excellent, superior," 1971, originally African-American vernacular, from super- + slang sense of fly (adj.).
supergiant (n.): 1927, from super- + giant (n.).
superheat (v.): 1827 (implied in superheated) "to heat to a very high degree," specifically of steam until it resembles a perfect gas, from super- + heat (v.). Related: Superheating.
superhero (n.): 1908 (in a translation of Nietzsche), from super- + hero. Used in 1930 of Tarzan; modern use is from 1960s.
superhighway (n.): 1921, from super- + highway.
superhuman (adj.): 1630s, from Medieval Latin superhumanus; see super- + human (adj.). In early use often "divine," since 19c. typically "above the powers or nature of man." Related: Superhumanly.
superimpose (v.): 1787, back-formation from superimposition (1680s), or from super- + impose. Compare Latin superimponere "to put upon, place over, place above." Related: Superimposed; superimposing.
superintend (v.): "to have charge and direction of," 1610s, from Church Latin superintendere "to oversee" (see superintendent). Related: Superintended; superintending.
superintendence (n.): "act of superintending," c. 1600; see superintendent + -ence, or from Latin superintendens. Related: Superintendency.
superintendent (n.): 1550s, originally an ecclesiastical word meaning "bishop" or "minister who supervises churches within a district" (ultimately a loan-translation of Greek episkopos "overseer"), from Medieval Latin superintendentem (nominative superintendens), present participle of Late Latin superintendere "oversee," from Latin super "above" (see super-) + intendere "turn one's attention to, direct" (see intend). Famously used by 16c. radical Protestants in place of bishop, which to them was tainted by Papacy.
[Martinists] studie to pull downe Bishopps, and set vp Superintendents, which is nothing else, but to raze out good Greeke, & enterline bad Latine. [Lyly, "Pappe with an Hatchet," 1589]
The general sense of "a person who has charge of some business" is first recorded 1580s. Meaning "janitor, custodian" is from c. 1935. Shortened form super first attested 1857, especially at first of overseers of sheep ranches in Australia. As an adjective meaning "superintending," from 1590s.
superior (adj.): late 14c., "higher in position," from Old French superior "higher, upper" (Modern French superieur), from Latin superiorem (nominative superior) "higher," comparative of superus "situated above, upper," from super "above, over" (see super-).

Meaning "higher in rank or dignity" is attested from late 15c.; sense of "of a higher nature or character" is attested from 1530s. Original sense was preserved more strongly in French (as in les étages supérieur "the upper stories"), and in Lake Superior, a loan-translation of French Lac Supérieur, literally "upper lake" (at 600 feet above sea-level it has the highest surface elevation of the five Great Lakes and is the furthest north).
Surprise a person of the class that is supposed to keep servants cleaning his own boots, & either he will go on with the job while he talks to you, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, or else he will explain that the bootboy or scullery-maid is ill & give you to understand that he is, despite appearances, superior to boot-cleaning. If he takes the second course, you conclude that he is not superior to it; if the first, that perhaps he is. [Fowler]
superior (n.): early 15c., from Latin superior (see superior (adj.)), used in Medieval Latin with a noun sense of "one higher, a superior."
superiority (n.): late 15c., from superior (adj.) + -ity, or directly from Medieval Latin superioritatem (nominative superioritas), from superior.
superlative (adj.): late 14c., from Old French superlatif "absolute, highest; powerful; best" (13c.) and directly from Late Latin superlativus "extravagant, exaggerated, hyperbolic," from Latin superlatus "exaggerated" (used as past participle of superferre "carry over or beyond"), from super "beyond" (see super-) + lat- "carry," from *tlat-, past participle stem of tollere "to take away" (see extol). Related: Superlatively; superlativeness.

The noun is attested from 1520s, originally in the grammatical sense, "a word in the superlative;" hence "exaggerated language" (1590s).
superman (n.): 1903, coined by George Bernard Shaw to translate German Übermensch, "highly evolved human being that transcends good and evil," from "Thus Spake Zarathustra" (1883-91), by Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900). First used in German by Hermann Rab (1520s), and also used by Herder and Goethe. Translated as overman (1895) and beyond-man (1896) before Shaw got it right in his play title "Man and Superman" (1903). Application to comic strip hero is from 1938.
So was created ... Superman! champion of the oppressed, the physical marvel who had sworn to devote his existence to helping those in need! ["Action Comics," June 1, 1938]
supermarket (n.): 1933, American English, from super- + market (n.). The 1933 reference is in an article that says the stores themselves began to open around 1931. An early word for a "superstore" was hypermarket (1967).