An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Saum

by Friedrich Kluge

Saum (1.), m., ‘border,’ from MidHG. and OHG. soum, m., ‘sewn edge of a garment, border’; corresponding to Du. zoom, AS. seám, m., E. seam, OFris. sâm, OIc. saumr, m., ‘border, seam’ (Goth. *sauma- is by chance not recorded). A graded form of the Aryan root sû-, a variant of the root sī̆w, ‘to sew,’ discussed under Säule (2). Comp. Sans. sûtra, ‘thread.’

Saum (2.), ‘load,’ from MidHG. and OHG. soum, m., ‘load of a beast of burden’ (also as a measure of weight), ‘beast of burden’; corresponding to AS. seám, ‘horse-load,’ E. seam. Borrowed prior to the OHG. period, probably even before the AS. migration, from Low Lat. sauma (σάγμα), ‘pack-saddle,’ whence also Ital. salma, Fr. somme. —