'articulatory' originates from Latin, specifically from the verb 'articulare' and its past participle 'articulatus', where the root 'articul-' meant 'a joint' or 'division'.

'articulare' (Latin) gave rise to Late Latin and then entered Old/Middle English via Romance and learned formations (through words like 'articulate'), eventually producing the modern English adjective 'articulatory'.

Initially connected with 'having joints' or 'divided into joints', the sense shifted toward 'connected with the production or clear utterance of speech', now meaning 'relating to articulation (speech production)'.