English → Latin
“archetype” in Latin
archetypusarchetypical, originalexempluma sample, example; a warning example, deterrent; torture, exemplary penalty, chastisementspeciēsseeing, view, look; spectacle, sight; external appearance, looks; general outline or shape
The English word archetype itself goes back to Latin archetypum.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
archetype
archetypum (Varr., Macrobius, ἀρχέτυπον in Cic..): exemplum primum: exemplum: species (used by Cic. for the Platonic ἰδέα).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for archetype?
- The usual Latin words for “archetype” are archetypus, exemplum, speciēs. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.