'ankylophobia' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'ankylos', where 'ankyl-' meant 'bent, crooked, or fused', and from Greek 'phobos' meaning 'fear'.

'ankylophobia' was formed in modern medical/psychological coinage from Neo-Greek/New Latin combining elements 'ankyl-' + '-phobia' and entered English as the modern term 'ankylophobia'.

Initially the roots meant 'bent/fused' and 'fear'; over time the combined modern coinage came to mean an abnormal fear of stiffness or immobility.