Etymograph

English

withal

Withal comes from Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- ‘to grow, nourish’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂el-1‘to grow, nourish’root named by Wiktionary · steps between not traced
  2. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500withal1
  3. Englishearliest quotation 1526withal1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English withal
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1526, [William Tyndale, The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible): “What ſhall hit proffet a man, yf he ſhulde…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂el-Wiktionary, English withal‘to grow, nourish’root named by Wiktionary · steps between not traced
  2. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500withalWiktionary, English withal
  3. Englishearliest quotation 1526withalWiktionary, English withal. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1526, [William Tyndale, The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible): “What ſhall hit proffet a man, yf he ſhulde…”

The story

The adverb is derived from Middle English withal, with-al, withalle (‘against, in opposition to; in association with, together with; by means of’), from with (“against; close to, near; directly opposite to; in the company of, together with; on, upon; within; etc.”, preposition) + al (‘total number in a group, all, everyone, everything’). The word displaced Old English mid ealle. The postposition is derived from the adverb.

Full etymology on Wiktionary

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- ‘to grow, nourish’

as, all, old, else, adult, el, ultimate, element, ultra, elder, ellen, alien, alternate, outrage, alter, ou, qualification, alumni, adolescent, altar, altitude, abolish, alt, alpine, alias, alto, proletariat, alum, auld, retaliate, ulterior, alimony, alibi, altruism, alp, parallax, coalesce, aad, eld, foetal, 66 more

Today it means

adv Together with the rest; besides; in addition.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “withal”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- / withal

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