The compound adjective "voice-activated" is a modern technological term built from established English components. Its first element, "voice," traces back to the Latin vōx, which carried meanings of sound, speech, and call. The second element, "activated," originates from the Latin verb agere, meaning to drive or do, which evolved into "act" and, with the addition of the suffix -ivus (pertaining to), formed "active." The further addition of the verbal suffix -ate created "activate," meaning to make active or set in motion. Therefore, the literal construction "voice-set-in-motion" logically evolved into the modern abstract meaning of a device made operational by the sound of spoken commands.

Structure: voice (sound) + act (do) + ivated (made into a state) - voice: From Old French voiz, from Latin vōx, vōcem (voice, sound, word). The functional role is the core noun root specifying the source of the command. - act: From Latin āctus (a doing, a driving), past participle of agere (to drive, lead, perform). The functional role is the verb root meaning "to perform or set in motion." - ivated: A suffix complex combining -ive (tending to an action) and -ated (past participle/adjectival suffix meaning "made to be"). Its functional role is to convert the verb "activate" into a participial adjective describing a state.