From Latin 'dictare' (to say repeatedly), from PIE *deyk- (to show, to point) — same root as 'dictionary' and 'verdict.'
To say or read aloud for someone to write down; to give orders authoritatively; to control or determine.
From Latin 'dictātus,' past participle of 'dictāre' (to say repeatedly, to prescribe), a frequentative form of 'dīcere' (to say, to speak), from PIE *deyk- (to show, to point out). The Latin frequentative emphasizes repeated or emphatic saying — dictating is not merely speaking, but speaking with the expectation of being recorded or obeyed. The same root gave rise to 'diction,' 'dictionary,' 'predict,' 'verdict,' 'contradict,' 'benediction,' and 'index.' Key roots: *deyk- (Proto-Indo-European: "to show, to point out").
The word 'dictator' originally had no negative connotation in Rome. A dictator was a magistrate appointed in emergencies with absolute power for a maximum of six months. The title simply meant 'one who dictates orders.' It was Julius Caesar's appointment as 'dictator perpetuo' (dictator in perpetuity) that tainted the word forever.