The naming of various substances now known as elements precedes the atomic theory of matter, as names were given locally by various cultures to various minerals, metals, compounds, alloys, mixtures, and other materials, although at the time it was not known which chemicals were elements and which compounds.
Penamaan berbagai zat yang sekarang dikenal sebagai unsur mendahului teori atom, karena nama diberikan secara lokal oleh berbagai budaya untuk berbagai mineral, logam, senyawa, paduan, campuran, dan bahan lainnya, meskipun pada saat itu tidak diketahui bahan kimia tersebut adalah unsur atau senyawa.