Where does “cold open” come from?

cold open (English) comes from English cold, from Middle English cold, from Old English cald, from Proto-Germanic *kald, from Proto-Germanic kaldaz, from Proto-Germanic kalaną, from Proto-Indo-European ǵel- — to swallow; swallow.

cold open (English): An opening segment shown before the opening credits

Definitions

  1. An opening segment shown before the opening credits

Ancestry of “cold open”, step by step

cold open traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English cold

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcoldHaving a low temperature; Causing the air to be...
2Middle Englishcoldcold, cool; having a tendency to be cold;...
3Old EnglishcaldAlternative form of ċeald
4Proto-Germanic*kald
5Proto-Germanickaldazcold
6Proto-Germanickalanąto be cold, to freeze
7Proto-Indo-Europeanǵel-to swallow; swallow

via English open

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishopenNot closed; Not physically drawn together,...
2Middle Englishopenopen
3Old Englishopenopen
4Proto-West Germanic*opanopen
5Proto-Germanicupanazopen
6Proto-Indo-Europeanupóunder, below
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃ewp-
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵel-Every word from Proto-Germanic kalanąEvery word from Proto-Germanic kaldaz