Ankus
/ˈɑːŋ.kʊs/noun
A hooked stick or goad used to guide an elephant.
Did you know?Ankus is borrowed from Hindi/Urdu, ultimately from Sanskrit अंकुश (aṅkuśa), a word for an elephant goad that became a symbol of disciplined power in South Asian art and ritual iconography.
Etymological Timeline
Sanskrit
Sanskrit
aṅkuśa
“an elephant goad; a hook or spur”
Persian
Persian
ankūš
“an elephant goad”
Hindi/Urdu
Indo-Aryan
āṅkus / ankus
“an elephant goad”
19th Century
English
ankus
“a hooked stick used to control elephants”
Modern English
English
ankus
“a hooked goad for guiding an elephant”