Old English hord "a treasure, valuable stock or store, an accumulation of something for preservation or future use," hence "any mass of things preserved by being deposited together," from Proto-Germanic *huzdam (source also of Old Saxon hord "treasure, hidden or inmost place," Old Norse hodd, German Hort, Gothic huzd "treasure," literally "hidden treasure"), from PIE root *(s)keu- "to cover, conceal."