ectype
Americannoun
noun
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a copy as distinguished from a prototype
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architect a cast embossed or in relief
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of ectype
1640–50; < Greek éktyp ( os ) wrought in relief, equivalent to ek- ec- + týp ( os ) figure (on a wall) + -os adj. suffix; akin to type
Explanation
An ectype is a copy, reproduction, or imitation of an original. A plaster cast of a famous Roman statue in a museum is an ectype, not the original itself. The word ectype comes from the Greek ektypos, where ek means "out" and typos means "impression" or "type." As opposed to an archetype — an original pattern or first model — an ectype is a reproduction made from that model. It is used in art and archaeology to refer to casts, reproductions of works of art, or impressions made from seals. In philosophy and theology, an ectype is something derived from or modeled on a more perfect original.
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