15世紀末，“由木材捆綁或固定在一起的浮動平臺”，源自早期的意思“椽子，橫樑”（約1300年），來自斯堪的納維亞源詞，如古諾爾斯語 raptr “原木”（古諾爾斯語 -pt- 發音爲 -ft-），古丹麥語 raft，與中低地德語 rafter， rachter “椽子”相關（參見 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 的規模巨大，由木材、板材、桶板等構成。它們被順流而下，從內陸運送到潮汐水域，靠水流的力量推動，輔以大槳和帆，到達目的地。這些筏子上的工人在上面建造簡陋的小屋，常常在到達拆解運往外國的地方之前居住數週。[巴特利特，《美國俚語詞典》，第二版，1859年]
