'alethoscope' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'alēthēs,' meaning 'true,' and 'skopein,' meaning 'to look or examine.'

'alēthēs' and 'skopein' combined to form the Greek word 'alēthoskopos,' which eventually became the modern English word 'alethoscope.'

Initially, it meant 'an instrument for viewing true images,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.