story English · revision 2134

+ English has two words spelled ''story'', both from Latin ''historia'' and both doublets of [[history]]: the narrative, and the floor of a building, spelled ''storey'' in British English.^(Cresswell 2021)^(AHD 2000)^(Barnhart 1988)

+ {{homograph|1|narrative}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=before 1200 (Ancrene Riwle)|origins=grc ἵστωρ}}

+

+ The narrative is [[inh|enm|storie]], [[bor|xno|estorie]] (Old French [[m|fro|estoire]], modern [[fr|histoire]]),^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(AHD 2000) and directly [[la-lat|storia]], a shortening of [[la|historia|t=history, account, tale, story]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from [[grc|ἱστορία|tr=historía|t=inquiry, record, history]], from [[m|grc|ἱστορέω|tr=historéō|t=to inquire]], from [[m|grc|ἵστωρ|tr=hístōr|t=wise man, judge]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) related to [[m|grc|ἰδεῖν|tr=ideîn|t=to see]] (see [[wit]]).^(Barnhart 1988)

+ A historical narrative or writing, probably before 1200 in the ''Ancrene Riwle'';^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989) the OED's first quotation, for a narrative of important events of the past, is from before 1225.^(OED 1989)

+ The word was not distinguished from [[history]] until the 1500s, and was used in most of its senses.^(Etymonline) A ''storier'' was a historian and a ''book of story'' a history book.^(Etymonline) A humorous anecdote is a ''story'' from the early 15th century,^(Etymonline) and a tale told for entertainment is first recorded in Dunbar's poems (1500–20).^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) The facts of a case in sequence are its ''story'' from about 1600,^(Etymonline) and the plot of a novel or play from 1715.^(Etymonline) The verb, to tell as a story, is from before 1450, and to decorate with pictures of historical scenes from 1387–88, whence ''storied'' windows.^(OED 1989)^(Klein 1966)

+ * 1387–88 – verb, to decorate with historical scenes.^(OED 1989)

+ * before 1450 – verb, to tell the story of.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1500–20 – a tale for entertainment (Dunbar).^(Barnhart 1988)

+ # An account of an event or series of events, true or [[fiction|alt=fictitious]].^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # A usually fictional prose or verse [[narrative]] meant to interest or amuse; a tale.^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # A [[short story]].^(AHD)

+ # The plot of a novel, play or film.^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+ # ''(informal)'' A lie: ''don't tell stories''.^(AHD)

+ # To decorate with scenes from history or legend.^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # To tell as a story.^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ * [[storied]]

+ * [[storybook]]

+ * [[storyteller]]

+ * [[storytelling]]

+ * [[storyline]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|floor of a building}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=borrowing|attested=before 1384|origins=la historia}}

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+ ==Etymology==

+ The floor of a building is [[inh|enm|storie]],^(AHD 2000)^(MWU 2024) [[bor|la-med|historia|t=picture; floor of a building]], a special use in Anglo-Latin (about 1200) of [[la|historia|t=history]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(NODE 1998) It was perhaps so called because medieval buildings often had rows of painted windows or sculptures on the front, each tier showing a historical subject.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Cresswell 2021) The second part of [[clerestory]] (1412) is early evidence of it.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A stage of the height of a building, recorded before 1384,^(Barnhart 1988) or about 1400 according to Etymonline.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It was used of anything arranged in horizontal stages, one above another, from 1625,^(OED 1989) and jocularly ''upper story'' meant the head as the seat of the mind (1699).^(OED 1989) British English now spells this word ''storey''.^(OED 1989)^(COED 2004)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 1384 – a floor of a building.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1412 – ''clerestory''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1625 – any horizontal stage or tier.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1699 – ''upper story'', the head.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A complete horizontal division of a [[building]], between two floors or a floor and the roof; a [[floor]].^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # The rooms on one level of a building.^(AHD)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[storey]]

+ * [[clerestory]]

+ * [[multistory]]

+ * [[wit]]