typologia

Typologia, or typology in English, is the systematic study and classification of things into types according to shared characteristics. The term derives from Greek typos "model, type" and logia "study of." In many languages the word typologia expresses the same idea, while in English the standard term is typology.

Typology is employed across disciplines to organize complexity, compare variation, and trace development. In linguistic typology, researchers catalog structural features of languages (phonology, morphology, syntax) to identify patterns and universals and to map how different languages diverge or converge. In archaeology and anthropology, artifact or cultural typology groups objects, practices, or traits into types to facilitate dating, comparison, and the reconstruction of past processes.

In religious studies, typology refers to interpreting events, persons, or institutions as types that foreshadow later fulfillment (for example, Old Testament figures seen as types of Christ). In architectural and urban studies, typology classifies buildings and spaces by form, function, or stylistic family, helping planners and historians compare styles and inventories.

Methodologically, typology relies on explicit criteria for classification and on the quality and scope of available data. It can illuminate regularities and processes, but it may also risk oversimplification or bias if types obscure variation or ignore context.