English
draft
Draft is a phonetic spelling of draught, from Middle English draught, from Old English *dreaht, from Proto-Germanic *drahtuz ‘a pulling’, from *draganą ‘to draw’.
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*draganą‘to draw’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*drahtuz‘a pulling’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*drahtireconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150*dreahtreconstructed
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500draught
- Englishearliest quotation 1801draft
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*draganą‘to draw’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*drahtuz‘a pulling’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*drahtireconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150*dreahtreconstructed
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500draught
- Englishearliest quotation 1801draft
Earliest quotation: 1801, Surveys 43, George Davis McJimsey: “Crossing several ridges & hollows & two small drafts…”
The story
A phonetic spelling of draught (compare laughter), from Middle English draught, draght (‘that which is pulled; that which is drawn up, a design’), from Old English *dreaht, *dræht, from Proto-West Germanic *drahti, *drahtu, from Proto-Germanic *drahtuz (‘a pulling, drawing’).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *dʰregʰ- ‘to pull, draw, drag’
train, attractive, retreat, portrait, attraction, extraction, withdraw, distraction, tract, entreat, 50 more
through Proto-Indo-European *dʰrógʰ-e-ti
through Proto-Germanic *draganą ‘to draw, to pull, to carry’
through Middle English draught
Today it means
noun Senses relating to a current or flow or an amount which flows: A current of air, usually coming into a room or vehicle.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *draganą / draft