An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Saite
Saite, f., ‘string’ (of a musical instrument), from MidHG. seite, m. and f., OHG. seita, f., seito, m., ‘string, cord, fetter’; comp. OHG. seid, n., ‘cord, noose,’ AS. sâda, m., ‘cord, noose,’ derived by means of the Aryan suffix t from the Teut. and Aryan root sai, by gradation sī̆, ‘to bind,’ which appears in Seil; comp. further OIc. seimr, m., ‘string’ (Goth. *sai-ma-), and síma, n., ‘string,’ AS. sîma, OSax. sī̆mo, m., ‘cord’; also Gr. ὶ-μάς, ‘strap,’ and the Sans. root si, ‘to bind, fetter.’ The derivatives most closely allied to the Teut. word are OSlov. sě-tĭ, f., ‘cord,’ and Lith. saítas, m., ‘cord.’ With regard to the Pre-Teut. root sī̆, see further under Seil.