* Historical names: The original name of a place before it was changed, such as "Byzantium" for "Istanbul" or "Constantinople".
* Ancient names: Names used in the past, especially in ancient times, for places, peoples, or objects. For instance, "Gaul" for France, "Scythia" for a region in eastern Europe and Central Asia, or "Pangaea" for the supercontinent that existed millions of years ago.
* Obsolete names: Names that are no longer in use, such as "Leningrad" for "Saint Petersburg", "Bombay" for "Mumbai", or "West Germany" for "Germany".
* Alternative names: Names that were used alongside the official name, sometimes with different meanings or connotations. Examples include "New York" for "New Amsterdam", "England" for "Angleland", or "Scotland" for "Scotia".
In essence, a palaeonym is a name that has been superseded by another name but still holds historical or linguistic significance.
Examples of Palaeonysms:
* Place names: Alexandria (formerly "Rhacotis"), Cairo (formerly "Fustat"), Rome (formerly "Roma"), Athens (formerly "Kekropia")
* Person names: William the Conqueror (formerly "William of Normandy"), Charlemagne (formerly "Charles the Great"), Alexander the Great (formerly "Alexander of Macedon")
* Object names: The Berlin Wall (formerly "Anti-Fascist Protection Wall"), the Great Wall of China (formerly "The Wall of Ten Thousand Li")
Etymology:
The word "palaeonym" comes from the Greek words "palaios" (old) and "onyma" (name).