The spelling of the word "are saddle" follows the English orthographic conventions. The "are" sound is represented by the letter combination "ar," while the "saddle" sound is spelled phonetically. In IPA transcription, "are" is /ɑː/ and "saddle" is /ˈsædəl/. The first syllable has a long vowel sound, and the final syllable has a reduced vowel sound. Together, these sounds form the compound word that refers to a seat for a rider on a horse's back.
The term "saddle" has an interesting etymology. It originates from the Old English word "sadol", which can be traced back to the Proto-Germanic word "sathulaz". This Proto-Germanic root word holds a resemblance to similar words in other Indo-European languages such as the Old High German "satal", Old Norse "söðull", and Latin "sella", all of which also mean "saddle". Even further back, the Proto-Indo-European root word "sed-" means "to sit" or "seat". This suggests that the concept of a saddle, a seat used for riding horses or other animals, has been present in various cultures and languages for thousands of years.