# What is the word origin of 'the draft'

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-origin-of-the-draft/302038>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 2, 2005, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-origin-of-the-draft/302038 "2005-05-02T07:15:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![FlippyFly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e95f7d/32.png) [@FlippyFly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlippyFly)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-origin-of-the-draft/302038/1 "2005-05-02T07:15:53Z")

</div>

What is the word origin of 'the draft’ – as in conscription in the USA?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-origin-of-the-draft/302038/2 "2005-05-02T07:18:30Z")

</div>

> [@FlippyFly](#):
>
> What is the word origin of 'the draft’ – as in conscription in the USA?

Middle English draught, act of drawing or pulling, from Old English \*dreaht;; akin to dragan, to draw.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2005, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-origin-of-the-draft/302038/3 "2005-05-03T01:38:32Z")

</div>

And, just to add, it was used in that very context in the late 1700’s in England.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2005, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-origin-of-the-draft/302038/4 "2005-05-03T02:56:15Z")

</div>

Australia used it too.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2005, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-origin-of-the-draft/302038/5 "2005-05-03T15:00:09Z")

</div>

Until today, the German word - Germany still has the draft - for getting drafted (“eingezogen werden”) literally translates as “to get drawn in.”