hide

{{11}}hide (n.¹) "skin of a large animal," O.E. hyd "hide, skin," from P.Gmc. *hudiz (Cf. O.N. huð, O.Fris. hed, M.Du. huut, Du. huid, O.H.G. hut, Ger. Haut "skin"), related to Old English verb hydan "to hide," the common notion being of "covering," from PIE root * (s)keu- "to cover, conceal" (Cf. Skt. kostha "enclosing wall," skunati "covers;" Arm. ciw "roof;" L. cutis "skin," scutum "shield," ob-scurus "dark;" Gk. kytos "a hollow, vessel," keutho "to cover, to hide," skynia "eyebrows;" Rus. kishka "gut," lit. "sheath;" Lith. kiautas "husk," kutis "stall;" O.N. sky "cloud;" O.E. sceo "cloud;" M.H.G. hode "scrotum;" O.H.G. scura, Ger. Scheuer "barn;" Welsh cuddio "to hide"). The alliterative pairing of hide and hair (often negative, hide nor hair) was in Middle English (early 15c.), but earlier and more common was hide ne hewe, lit. "skin and complexion ('hue')" (c.1200).

{{12}}hide (n.²) "measure of land" (obsolete), O.E. hid "hide of land," earlier higid, from hiw- "family" (Cf. hiwan "household," hiwo "a husband, master of a household"), from P.Gmc. *hiwido-, from PIE *keiwo- (Cf. L. civis "citizen"), from root *kei- "to lie; bed, couch; beloved, dear" (Cf. CITY (Cf. city)). The notion was of "amount of land needed to feed one free family and dependents," usually 100 or 120 acres, but the amount could be as little as 60, depending on the quality of the land. Often also defined as "as much land as could be tilled by one plow in a year." Translated in Latin as familia.

{{12}}hide (v.¹) O.E. hydan "to hide, conceal; preserve; hide oneself; bury a corpse," from W.Gmc. *hudjan (Cf. M.Du., M.L.G. huden), from PIE *keudh- (Cf. Gk. keuthein "to hide, conceal"), from root * (s)keu- "to cover, conceal" (see HIDE (Cf. hide) (n.¹)). Hide and seek (by 1670s), children's game, replaced earlier all hid (1580s).