Origins
Draft is one of those rare words where every sense, however different, traces to a single physical action: drawing.โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ The word descends from Old English dragan ('to draw, to pull'), through Middle English draght, from Proto-Germanic *dragan-.
A written draft is drawn up โ sketched in preliminary form. A draft of beer is drawn from the cask through a tap. A draft of air is drawn through a gap in a wall or window. A military draft draws citizens into service. An overdraft draws money beyond what the account holds. In every case, something is being pulled from one place to another.
The spelling split between draft and draught happened in the 18th century. Americans standardised on draft for all senses. British English kept draught for beer and air, while using draft for documents and conscription. Both spellings are pronounced the same way โ the 'gh' in draught is silent, a relic of an older pronunciation.