Английский Этимологический словарь - hide (n.)

- O.E. hyd, from P.Gmc. *khuthis, from same root as the verb, the common notion being of "covering." Hidebound is 16c., of emaciated cattle with skin sticking closely to backbones and ribs; metaphoric sense of "restricted, narrow attitudes" is first recorded 1603. The obsolete hide "measure of land" is from O.E. hid, earlier higid, from hiw- "family." The notion was of "amount of land needed to feed one free family and dependents," usually 100 acres, but the amount varied.