'askos' originates from Ancient Greek, specifically the word 'askos' (ἀσκός), where the root meant 'wineskin' or 'leather bag'.

'askos' passed from Ancient Greek (ἀσκός) into late Latin/medieval usage (appearing in some forms like 'ascus' in scholarly or antiquarian texts) and was borrowed into English primarily in the study of ancient pottery and antiquities as 'askos'.

Initially it referred directly to a 'wineskin' (a leather bag for carrying liquids); over time the term also came to denote a pottery vessel shaped like such a skin, and in English it is chiefly used in archaeological or art-historical contexts for that type of vessel.