archetype

1 something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed <the abacus is sometimes cited as the archetype of the modern digital calculator> Synonyms antecedent, ancestor, daddy, foregoer, forerunner, granddaddy (also grandaddy), precursor, predecessor, prototypeRelated Words model, original; originator, sire; father, motherNear Antonyms by-product, derivative, offshoot, outgrowth, spin-off; daughter, sonAntonyms descendant (also descendent)

2 something from which copies are made <Beowulf is considered by some scholars to be the archetype for medieval British heroic tales> Synonyms original, prototypeRelated Words source; example, mold, paradigm, pattern; beau ideal, classic, exemplar, ideal, model, nonpareil, paragon; blueprint, draftNear Antonyms copy, imitation, replica, reproduction; counterfeit, fake, forgery, sham