Confirmation of the definitions

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The term exonym was first introduced by British toponymist Marcel AUROUSSEAU in 1957, while the term endonym was coined later by Austrian Slavist Otto KRONSTEINER in 1975. Despite endonyms being the primary concept and more numerous, the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN) defined both terms in its 1984 Glossary. Following the establishment of the UNGEGN Working Group on Exonyms in 2002, these definitions underwent three modifications, with the latest in 2007. However, the 2007 definitions faced scrutiny due to practical application issues and perceived incompleteness. Ongoing discussions, primarily in annual Working Group meetings, addressed questions such as the identity of the local community defining the endonym, the extent of its territory, and the criteria for an endonym's status, particularly concerning new migrant communities. A linguistic perspective on the endonym/exonym divide was also proposed, diverging from traditional UNGEGN views. By 2014, it became evident that reconciling differing opinions within the Working Group was unlikely, prompting a declaration that the 16th meeting in Hermagor would be the final chance to agree on new definitions. The 18 papers presented at this meeting encapsulate the culmination of discussions, showcasing the debate between comprehensive umbrella terms and those catering to practical standardization needs, as well as differing linguistic and cultural-geog