Ankushes

/ænˈkuːʃɪz/ noun

Definition

Plural form of ankusha; multiple hooked sticks used by mahouts and elephant handlers in traditional South Asian elephant management.

Etymology

English pluralization of ankusha (a variant spelling of ankus), formed by adding the "-es" suffix to create the plural form of the elephant-control implements.

Kelly Says

Museums often display sets of ankushes of different sizes—each one was designed for different elephant species or different ages of elephants, showing that ancient handlers had sophisticated understanding of animal behavior.

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