Raftman
/ˈræft.mən/noun
A person who works on, guides, or transports goods by raft, especially a lumber worker.
Did you know?In North American logging history, raftmen often guided enormous timber rafts downriver, making the occupation both physically dangerous and essential to early commerce.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
Proto-Germanic
*raftuz
“A raft or arrangement of logs, probably connected with timber and beams”
9th–11th Century
Old Norse
raptr
“A log or beam”
Middle English
English
raft
“A structure made of logs or other materials for floating”
16th–17th Century
English
raft-man
“A person who manages or works with a raft”
18th–19th Century
North American English
raftman
“A worker who guides timber rafts, especially on major rivers”
Modern English
English
raftman
“A person who works on or guides a raft”