Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “archetype” come from?

Archetype derives from Old French architipe, from Latin archetypum, from Ancient Greek ἀρχέτυπος, combining ἀρχή meaning "beginning" or "origin" with a root meaning "to rule" or "lead."

archetype (English): An original model of which all other similar...

Definitions

  1. An original model of which all other similar...

Ancestry of “archetype”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frencharchitipe—
2Latinarchetypumnominative neuter singular of archetypus;...
3Latinarchetypusarchetypical, original
4Ancient Greekἀρχέτυποςfirst-molded; first-moulded
5Ancient GreekτύποςA blow, pressing; The results of a blow: mark,...
6Ancient Greekτύπτωto beat, strike, smite; to beat, strike oneself
7Proto-Indo-European(s)tewp-to push, to stick
8Proto-Indo-European(s)tew-to push, to hit

Words derived from “archetype”

  • archetypal
  • archetypical
  • archetypally
  • archetypically
  • hyparchetype
  • nonarchetypal
  • archetypoid
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)tew- →