'ankylos' originates from Ancient Greek, specifically the word 'ankylos' (ἀγκύλος), where the root meant 'bent, crooked, or hooked.'

'ankylos' passed into Late Latin/New Latin medical vocabulary and formed the combining form 'ankylo-' seen in modern English words like 'ankylosis' and 'ankylose.'

Initially, it meant 'bent' or 'crooked' in Greek; over time it evolved in medical usage to refer specifically to 'stiffness' or 'fusion' (as in ankylosis).