Inherited from Middle French harde, from Old French herde (“herd of wild animals”), from Frankish *herda (“herd”), from Proto-Germanic *herdō (“herd”), from Proto-Indo-European *kerdʰ- (“file, row, herd”). Cognate with Old High German herta (“herd”), Middle Dutch herde, harde (“herd”), Old English heord (“herd”). More at herd.