典型
てんけい · tenkei · JLPT N3 · noun
type
📚 典型 = canon (典) + mold (型): the standard mold, the textbook case
典 means a classic or standard, as in 辞典 (dictionary) and 古典 (classics). 型 is a mold or form, the same kata as in martial arts. A 典型 is the textbook example that others are measured against. 典型的 means typical.
型 — earth 土 + 刑 (xíng, phonetic)
型 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The 土 (earth) component points to its original meaning: a clay or earthen mold used for casting. The right side 刑 supplies the sound. From 'casting mold' it broadened to mean 'model, type, pattern' in modern usage.