Etymology Dictionary

SADDLE,  a leathern seat, put on a horse's back.  (E.)   M. E. sadel (with one d), Chaucer, C. T. 2164.—A. S. sadol; Grein, ii. 387. + Du. zadel. + Icel. söðull. + Swed. and Dan. sadel. + G. sattel; O. H. G. satul. + Russ. siedlo. + Lat. sella (put for sed-la).   β. The form of the word is abnormal; some suppose it not to be Teutonic, but borrowed from the Lat. sedile; this we may confidently reject, as the Lat. sedile is not a saddle, but a chair, the true Lat. word being sella.   Perhaps the Teutonic form was borrowed from Slavonic; it is quite clear that the Russ. siedlo, a saddle, is from the verb sidiete, to sit (or from the root of that verb); and that the Lat. sella is from sedere, to sit.   γ. Hence, though we cannot derive saddle immediately from the E. verb to sit, we may safely refer it, and all its cognates (or borrowed forms) to ✔SAD, to sit; cf. (Vedic) Skt. sad, to sit down, Skt. sadas, a seat, abode.   δ. As we cannot well determine by what route the word came to us, we may call it an E. word; it is, doubtless, of great antiquity.   ε. It is worth noting, that the A. S. setl, i.e. a settle, throne, appears in the Northumbrian version of Matt. xxv. 31 as seðel, and in the Mercian version as sedle, shewing a like confusion between t and d in another word from the same root.   Der. saddle, verb, A. S. sadelian, Ælfric's Grammar, ed. Zupitza, p. 165, l. 10; saddl-er, saddl-er-y; saddle-bow, M. E. sadel-bowe (Stratmann).