Raft
/ræft/noun
A flat structure of logs, planks, or other materials bound together to float on water.
Did you know?The English word *raft* is not connected to the magical-sounding idea of a ‘raft’ as a symbol; its history is genuinely humble, coming through Scandinavian and Old English forms tied to beams and frameworks used in building and transport.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*raftaz
“a beam, rafter, or framework”
Old English
OE
ræft
“a beam, rafter, or piece of timber”
Old Norse
ON
raptr
“a rafter or beam”
Middle English
ME
raft
“a beam, framework, or floating structure of timber”
Modern English
English
raft
“a flat floating structure made of logs, planks, or similar materials”