'crossover' originates from English, specifically a compound of the words 'cross' and 'over', where 'cross' originally meant 'to go across' (from Old English 'cros'/'cruc' ultimately influenced by Latin 'crux' and Old Norse) and 'over' meant 'across/above' (from Old English 'ofer').

'crossover' developed from the phrase 'cross over' (two words) in earlier English and became a unified compound in modern English usage to denote an act of crossing or a thing that crosses; later it expanded to technical and figurative senses (vehicles, genre blending, audio networks, etc.).

Initially it meant 'an act of crossing over' (literal crossing), but over time it evolved to include figurative senses such as mixing genres, a vehicle type, sports moves, and technical/electronic devices that divide or combine signals.