unstoried

Unstoried is an adjective used to describe something that lacks a recognized narrative, history, or set of stories attached to it. In this sense, a place, person, event, or object can be described as unstoried when there are few if any documented or traditional tales associated with it.

Etymology and formation: The term is formed with the prefix un- meaning not, attached to storied, which comes from story or narrative. The construct is analogous to other adjectives such as unrecorded or unread, and its usage is largely literary or scholarly rather than colloquial.

Usage and nuance: Unstoried items are presented as lacking a well-defined tradition or narrative. The word can imply novelty, obscurity, or a deliberate absence of lore. It is often used in historical, archaeological, or literary contexts to emphasize the absence of a known storied background rather than the absence of factual information.

Examples: The ruins were described as unstoried, with no legends or poems attached to them. A newly unearthed document might be called unstoried until its provenance and contents are established. In literary criticism, a character may be termed unstoried to indicate a backstory that has not been elaborated by the author.

See also: storied, unhistorical, folklore, legend, narrative.