Etymology

adrift

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Today it means: In or into a drifting condition; moved (especially on water by waves and wind) without being propelled or steered. Full definition →

English drift ← Middle English drift ← Old English *drift
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The story

  1. Englisha-
  2. Proto-Germanic*drībaną
  3. Proto-Germanic*driftiz
  4. Old English*drift
  5. Middle Englishdrift
  6. Englishdrift
  7. English todayadrift

The adverb is derived from a- (prefix meaning ‘at; in; on’ showing conditions, manners, or states) + drift (noun), probably modelled after afloat. The adjective is probably derived from the adverb, as it is attested later.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.