noun
similar story; variant tale
Refers to a story or anecdote that closely resembles another, often used in comparative folklore or literary analysis.
この昔話には、海外に類話がいくつかある。
This folktale has several similar stories abroad.
研究者は、異なる地域の類話を比較した。
The researcher compared similar tales from different regions.
Compound of 類 (るい, 'kind, type') and 話 (わ, 'story, tale'). The reading わ for 話 is a bound form used in compounds.