From Story to Write
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Tap any rung for its meaning.
Two stepping stones: the N (rung 2, for stone) and the H (rung 3, for shone) — each borrowed to keep a rung a real word, then given back before the end. There may be several par routes — the census above shows which ones climbers actually took.
An account of events, real or imagined, told to others.
Story comes from a Latin word meaning history or narrative, which passed through Old French into English. It is closely related to 'history,' both sharing the same ancient root. Over time 'story' took on a lighter, more fictional tone than 'history.'
Full entry on Wiktionary ↗To form letters or words on a surface with a tool.
Write comes from an Old English word originally meaning to scratch or carve, reflecting early writing on wood or stone. It has relatives in other Germanic languages with similar meanings. The shift from carving to pen-and-ink writing happened naturally as technology changed.
Full entry on Wiktionary ↗Definitions give each word’s most common meaning — the full entries live at Wiktionary.