Tipologi

Tipologi, or typology, refers to the study and construction of typologies—the systematic arrangement of items into types based on shared characteristics. It is a methodological approach used across many disciplines to organize complexity, facilitate comparison, and identify patterns.

In linguistics, typology classifies languages by structural features rather than by geographic or genealogical relation. Common dimensions include word order (for example, SVO vs SOV), the degree of inflection or agglutination, and syntactic alignment. Linguistic typology aims to describe cross-language universals and variations, helping researchers understand how human languages can be organized and what constraints shape their form.

In archaeology and anthropology, typology groups artifacts or cultural traits into types or categories, such as pottery designs, projectile points, or kinship systems. This enables dating, cultural reconstruction, and the study of change over time. Typological work depends on well-defined criteria, representative samples, and transparent coding schemes, but can be sensitive to subjective judgments about similarity and function.

Typology is related to, but distinct from, taxonomy. Typology emphasizes pattern and type rather than hierarchical naming, though it often informs classificatory systems. It is also applied in fields such as art, urban planning, sociology, and product design, where building a library of types supports analysis, communication, and planning. Limitations include potential oversimplification and the influence of researcher assumptions on type definitions.