'bakshish' originates from Persian, specifically the word 'bakhshish' (بخشش), where the root 'bakhsh-' meant 'to give' or 'a gift'.

'bakshish' passed into English via Urdu and Turkish (often as 'baksheesh' or similar forms) in the 18th–19th centuries through contact with Persianate and South Asian cultures, eventually entering modern English as 'bakshish'.

Initially, it meant 'a gift or charitable giving'; over time it shifted to mean a small payment or tip for services and, in some contexts, a bribe or payoff.