'ankle' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'æncle' (also spelled 'ancle'), where the root referred to the joint or a bend.

'ankle' developed from Old English 'æncle' (influenced by related Germanic forms) into Middle English and eventually the modern English 'ankle'.

Initially it referred more generally to a bend or angle at the joint; over time it became the specific term for the joint connecting foot and leg.