Where does “withal” come from?
withal (Middle English) comes from Middle English wiþ, from Old English wiþ, from Old English wiþer, from Proto-West Germanic wiþr, from Proto-Germanic wiþrą, from Proto-Indo-European wī-tero-, from Proto-Indo-European wi — apart, asunder; away from, against.
Ancestry of “withal”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | wiþ | with |
| 2 | Old English | wiþ | against, opposite; along, towards; with |
| 3 | Old English | wiþer | toward, against; again, against; against, in... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | wiþr | toward, against |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | wiþrą | toward, against |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wī-tero- | further apart |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wi | apart, asunder; away from, against |
Words derived from “withal”