combining form
or paleo- or palae- or palaeo- also palaio-
Etymology: Greek palai-, palaio-, from palaios old, ancient, from palai long ago; akin to Greek tēle far, far off, Sanskrit carama last, outermost
1.
a. : remote in point of time
Paleo cene
b. : involving ancient forms or conditions
paleo climate
c. : of ancient origin : ancestral
Paleo -Eskimo
d. : dealing with ancient or fossil forms
paleo botany
2. : early : primitive : archaic
paleo anthropic
palaeo typography
3. : Old World
Paleot ropical
4. : of pre-Tertiary origin — in names of minerals
paleo picrite