'ankusha' originates from Sanskrit, specifically the word 'aṅkuśa' (अङ्कुश), where the root referred to a 'hook' or 'goad'.

'aṅkuśa' passed into Prakrit/Apabhramsha as 'ankusa' and was later borrowed into modern South Asian languages (e.g. Hindi/Urdu 'ankush'/'ankusha') before entering English usage during the colonial period.

Initially it meant 'hook' or 'goad', and over time it has retained this core meaning as a tool for guiding elephants.