Why is a floor of a building also called a story?

Answer by  hefito (226)

I don't know that there's a definitive answer on this, but I've heard it has to do with stories in the "telling stories" sense. The stained glass windows in churches told stories, and those were usually the only multi-level buildings in town.

Answer by  sunny83 (157)

I don't think there's a real good, logical reason. I think it evolved organically from the word stair -- 2 floor homes had stairs. Stairy turned into story. Not a satisfying answer, I realize, but again, I don't think there's a real logical answer.

Answer by  VB (361)

It comes from Medieval Europe when buildings (mostly churches) had stained glass windows, carved exterior walls or murals which depicted pictures of stories, battlefields, or other historical events. When people would describe a location in the building, instead of using the numerical version, they used the pictured stories to describe it.