'echolalia' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'ēkhōlaliā,' where 'ēkhō' meant 'echo' and 'laliā' meant 'speech.'

'ēkhōlaliā' transformed into the Latin word 'echolalia,' and eventually became the modern English word 'echolalia.'

Initially, it meant 'echo speech,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.