Typology

Typology is a systematic approach to classification that groups entities into types based on shared characteristics and observed patterns. The term comes from Greek typos, meaning "model" or "form," and -logia, meaning "study of."

In contrast to taxonomy or cladistics, typology emphasizes structural similarity and functional roles rather than genealogical relations. Typologies are often used as heuristic tools to organize diversity, identify regularities, and compare domains across cultures or disciplines.

Linguistics uses typology to categorize languages by features such as word order (SVO, SOV), degree of inflection (isolating, agglutinative, fusional), and tonal systems. Archaeology relies on artifact typology to distinguish forms and styles and to establish relative chronologies through seriation. Anthropology and religious studies employ typologies of social types, belief systems, or sacred figures to compare cultures and historical narratives.

Methodologically, typology involves compiling inventories of features, coding data, and arranging items into discrete categories. It is subject to criticism for sometimes being simplificatory, culturally biased, or teleological if used to imply historical inevitability. Good practice includes transparency about criteria, awareness of clines and continua, and integration with theory and other methods.

Typology remains a foundational organizing concept in the humanities and social sciences, helping researchers map variation and generate hypotheses about processes of change, diffusion, and function.