Where does “sutera” come from?

sutera (Malay) comes from Sanskrit सूत्र, from Proto-Indo-European *syewH-.

Ancestry of “sutera”, step by step

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Sanskrit	सूत्र	thread, yarn, string, line, cord, wire; a...
2	Proto-Indo-European	*syewH-	—

sutera — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer