原形

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 原形(げんけい) means an original shape or form before alteration.
• Basic usage: The examples concern a house's earlier appearance and a word's form before inflection.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• The homophone 原型
  • 原型(げんけい) refers to a model or prototype serving as the basis for making something else. 原形 focuses on something's own original form, so the spelling distinguishes the two despite their shared reading.