"capable of being related or told," 1620s, from Latin narrabilis, from narrare "to tell, relate" (see narration). Alternative narratable is recorded by 1847.

1622, originally in reference to the native people, later to the place in Rhode Island, from southern New England Algonquian Naiaganset "(people) of the small point of land," containing nai- "a point or angle."

"tell or recite in detail, relate the particulars or incidents of," 1748, a back-formation from narration or else from Latin narratus, past participle of narrare "to tell, relate, recount," from PIE root *gno- "to know." "Richardson and Johnson call it Scottish" [OED], a stigma which kept it from general use until 19c. A few mid-17c. instances are traceable to Spanish narrar. Related: Narrated; narrating.

early 15c., narracioun, "act of telling a story or recounting in order the particulars of some action, occurrence, or affair," also "that which is narrated or recounted, a story, an account of events," from Old French narracion "account, statement, a relating, recounting, narrating, narrative tale," and directly from Latin narrationem (nominative narratio) "a relating, narrative," noun of action from past-participle stem of narrare "to tell, relate, recount, explain," literally "to make acquainted with," from gnarus "knowing," from PIE *gne-ro-, suffixed form of root *gno- "to know."

"a tale, a story, a connected account of the particulars of an event or series of incidents," 1560s, from Middle French narrative and from narrative (adj.).

mid-15c., narratif, "biographical, historical," from Late Latin narrativus "suited to narration," from Latin narrat-, stem of narrare "to tell, relate, recount, explain" (see narration). Meaning "of or pertaining to narration" is from c. 1600.

1610s, "one who recounts or states facts, details, etc.," from Latin narrator "a relater, narrator, historian," agent noun from narrat-, stem of narrare "to tell, relate" (see narration). In sense of "a commentator in a radio program" it is from 1941.

Middle English narwe, from Old English nearu "of little width, not wide or broad; constricted, limited; petty; causing difficulty, oppressive; strict, severe," from West Germanic *narwaz "narrowness" (source also of Frisian nar, Old Saxon naru, Middle Dutch nare, Dutch naar) which is not found in other Germanic languages and is of unknown origin.

In reference to railroads, narrow-gauge (also narrow-gage) is by 1841, originally of those less than the standard of 4 feet 8 1/2 inches. The narrow seas (mid-15c.) were the waters between Great Britain and the continent and Ireland, but specifically the Strait of Dover.

Middle English narwen, from narrow (adj.) and in part from Old English nearwian "to force in, cramp, confine; become smaller, shrink." Related: Narrowed; narrowing.