Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “story” come from?

Story comes from Middle English storie, from Old French estorer, from Latin instaurare meaning "to restore or renew," ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root ne-.

story (English): A sequence of real or fictional events; or, an...

Definitions

  1. A sequence of real or fictional events; or, an...

Ancestry of “story”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishstorieThe spoken or textual recounting of historic...
2Old FrenchestorieAlternative form of estoire
3Latinhistoriahistory; account; story
4Ancient Greekἱστορίαinquiry, examination, systematic observation,...
5Ancient Greekἱστορέωto inquire, ask; to examine, observe; to record,...
6Ancient Greekἵστωρone who knows law and right, judge; witness; a...
7Proto-Hellenicwístōr—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanwéydtōrone who has seen, one who knows
9Indo-European*weyd-—

Words derived from “story”

  • storytelling
  • storyteller
  • storyline
  • storyboard
  • storybook
  • understory
  • backstory
  • overstory
  • storyworld
  • storytime
  • counterstory
  • storylike
  • metastory
  • nonstory
  • midstory
  • storiette
  • storyless
  • storyland
  • storification
  • substory
  • photostory
  • counterstorytelling
  • storywise
  • afterstory
Every word from Indo-European *weyd- →