'dictaphone' originates as an English coinage combining Latin and Greek elements: the Latin root 'dict-' (from 'dictare') meaning 'to say' and the Greek element 'phone' (from 'phōnē') meaning 'voice'.

'dictaphone' was coined in the early 20th century as a trademark for dictating machines (notably by the Dictaphone Corporation); it followed earlier terms like 'dictating machine' and 'phonograph' and later became a common noun 'dictaphone'.

Initially, it meant the specific trademarked product, but over time it evolved into a generic term for any dictating machine or voice recorder.