Saddlemaker

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A craftsman who designs, cuts, stitches and assembles leather saddles for horses and riders
2. A skilled tradesperson whose work is building and repairing the leather seats fitted onto horses
3. Someone who produces saddles by shaping leather and fitting the frame, stirrups and girth for riding

Etymology: A saddlemaker is, quite literally, one who makes saddles, and the word is about as transparent as English compounds get: "saddle" joined to "maker," the agent noun built from "make." The Old English root of "saddle" is "sadol," a word that goes back to a common Germanic ancestor for the seat or fitting placed on a horse's back, so the first half of the compound carries the older history. "Maker" comes from the Old English "macian," which meant to make, shape or construct, and it was the ordinary way of naming a craftsman by his trade, as in "shoemaker," "wheelwright" aside, or "cartwright." The pattern is one of the most productive in English. Almost any object can be paired with "-maker" to name the person who produces it, which is why the word feels so natural even though nobody had to coin it for a special purpose. Its plain construction makes it a useful example of how English builds trade names from everyday parts rather than borrowing them from another language.

Synonyms: saddler