An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Sattel

by Friedrich Kluge

Sattel, m., ‘saddle,’ from the equiv. MidHG. satel, OHG. satal, satul, m.; corresponding to Du. zadel, AS. sadol, E. saddle, OIc. sǫðull, m.; Goth. *saduls is by chance not recorded. The assumption that the word is borrowed from Lat. sedîle is not supported either by the sound or the meaning. The common OTeut. *sadula- cannot, however, be primit. allied to sitzen (Teut. root set). Perhaps the word was anciently borrowed from another Aryan tongue, which could probably form sadula- from the root sed, ‘to sit’ (comp. Reich); comp. Slav. sedlo (sedĭlo), ‘saddle.’