antetypes
|an-te-types|
/ˈæn.tə.taɪps/
(antetype)
earlier model / precursor
Etymology
'antetype' originates from Latin and Greek, specifically the Latin prefix 'ante' and the Greek word 'typos', where 'ante' meant 'before' and 'typos' meant 'impression' or 'model'.
'antetype' changed from Medieval Latin/Neo-Latin formations (such as 'antetypus' or similar coinages combining 'ante-' + 'typos') and eventually became the modern English word 'antetype'.
Initially, it meant 'a representation or pattern that comes before', and over time it evolved into the current sense of 'an original model or prototype' used in English.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
original model or prototype from which later forms are derived; a precursor or forerunner.
Those ancient vases are antetypes of the pottery styles that became common a century later.
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Noun 2
a thing or person that foreshadows or anticipates a later development; an early manifestation of a pattern.
Many of the political reforms in the report functioned as antetypes to policies adopted decades later.
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Last updated: 2025/08/23 12:00