I think when zaphar said "sql database" he was just using common usage for RDBMS. Yes, "SQL database" does not have to mean "row oriented storage". But all of the commonly familiar SQL RDBMSs use row oriented storage.
I actually think SQL the language assumes row oriented storage. I honestly can't think of a single SQL database that isn't row oriented. While theoretically you could, in practice no one has.
I can't say for certain but this might be related to the reliance on sql for the query language.
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I think when zaphar said "sql database" he was just using common usage for RDBMS. Yes, "SQL database" does not have to mean "row oriented storage". But all of the commonly familiar SQL RDBMSs use row oriented storage.
I actually think SQL the language assumes row oriented storage. I honestly can't think of a single SQL database that isn't row oriented. While theoretically you could, in practice no one has.
I can't say for certain but this might be related to the reliance on sql for the query language.