raft（n.1）
15世纪末，“由木材捆绑或固定在一起的浮动平台”，源自早期的意思“椽子，横梁”（约1300年），来自斯堪的纳维亚源词，如古诺尔斯语 raptr “原木”（古诺尔斯语 -pt- 发音为 -ft-），古丹麦语 raft，与中低地德语 rafter， rachter “椽子”相关（参见 rafter（n.1））。
In North America, rafts are constructed of immense size, and comprise timber, boards, staves, etc. They are floated down from the interior to the tide-waters, being propelled by the force of the current, assisted by large oars and sails, to their place of destination. The men employed on these rafts construct rude huts upon them, in which they often dwell for several weeks before arriving at the places where they are taken to pieces for shipping to foreign parts. [Bartlett, "Dictionary of Americanisms," 2nd ed., 1859]
在北美， rafts 的规模巨大，由木材、板材、桶板等构成。它们被顺流而下，从内陆运送到潮汐水域，靠水流的力量推动，辅以大桨和帆，到达目的地。这些筏子上的工人在上面建造简陋的小屋，常常在到达拆解运往外国的地方之前居住数周。[巴特利特，《美国俚语词典》，第二版，1859年]
该词起源时间：15世纪末