what's the etymology of that word?  yep, "withal" means
funds/resources, which is the context of my sentence ..."when he has
the wherewithal to buy his medication." so why isn't it the
"whenwithal" instead?  and why do I try to add a second "l" at the
end?  was it ever spelled "wherewithall?"

please only answer this question if you like to play with words and
are particularly curious about the origins of this one.  I would like
something more than one would find in the dictionary even though I'm
not setting my fee that high.  guesses are okay, but you'll have to
sell me on your theory and humor is always appreciated on a "granny"
question.

have fun and thanks for your time!

grammatically and arbitrarily yours,
GB

Greetings Granny Bing,

I hope Granny is seated and medicated because this answer will take
Granny on a wild ride.

First of all, I regret to inform Granny that her focus was a bit
misplaced. The key here is not so much the "-withal" suffix, but
rather the "wherewith-" prefix. Sorry if that induces dizziness.

Well, what does "wherewith-" mean?  Surprisingly, it means "with
what." Your humble researcher has consulted the online Oxford English
Dictionary (OED) with which his local public library has so graciously
provided him access.

Let's take a look at an OED entry for "wherewith" that cites Chaucer's
"Canterbury Tales":

"c1386 CHAUCER Wife's T. Prol. 131 Wher with sholde he make his
paiement If he ne vsed his sely Instrument?"

Here, the "wher with" is an interrogatory meaning "with what." In
other words, Chaucer means, "With what should he make his payment...
?"

So why isn't it "whatwith-" or "withwhat-"? Beats me. It just isn't. 
The fact is, though, that even in modern English, "where" does not
exclusively have to do with location. It sometimes means "what" or
"which." Let's digress for a moment to explore this concept.

Consider the following:
"A computer is a device whereby Granny makes money."

Here the "where-" in "whereby" doesn't really have anything to do with
location. Sure, Granny might be physically located near the computer,
but she doesn't have to be. It could be thousands of miles away. In
this situation, the "where-" in "whereby" doesn't really mean "where."
Rather, it means "which" or "what."  We could just as easily say, "A
computer is a device with which Granny makes money."  Or we could turn
it around and ask, "With what does Granny make money?"



Getting back to wherewith...

We've already covered the use of "where with" as an interrogatory
meaning "with what."

"Wherewith" also took the form of a conjunction meaning "with which."
Take this example from Shakespeare's "Macbeth":
"1605 SHAKES. Macb. I. vi. 17 Those honors..Wherewith your Maiestie
loades our House."

Interestingly, "wherewithout" was also used as a conjunction at one
point. Not surprisingly, "wherewithout" means the opposite of
"wherewith."

Consider this OED entry:
 "1578 Bk. Chr. Prayers Bij, Thou light, wherewithout all things are
deepe darcknesse."

In other words, "your light, without which all things are deep
darkness."


Finally, and most importantly to this discussion, wherewith took the
form of a noun meaning "that with which." OED Examples:

"1611 Bible Ps. cxix. 42 So shall I have wherewith to answere him that
reprocheth me."

In other words, "So shall I have that with which to answer him..."

1788 PRIESTLEY Lect. Hist. V. lviii. 460 They will have wherewith to
purchase the produce of other countries.

In other words, "They will have that with which to purchase the
produce..."

In this sense (a noun meaning "that with which"), "wherewith" is the
equivalent of "wherewithal." And in fact the two were used
interchangeably.

OED example:

"1742 FIELDING J. Andrews IV. i, When your ladyship's livery was
stript off, he had not wherewithal to buy a coat."

And this usage as a noun is the form that has come down to us meaning
the necessary funds or resources.

But how exactly did the "-al" ending come into play?  Well, that seems
to be due to the fact that "with", "withal", and "withall" were
sometimes used interchangeably. OED example:

"1600 SHAKES. As You Like It. III. ii. ... tel you who Time ambles
withall, who Time trots withal,."

In other words, "... tell you who time ambles with, who time trots
with ..."


On the issue of the second "l"...  Well, all I can say is that
Granny's instincts are as white-hot as ever. A second "l" was indeed a
popular and accepted addition to this venerable word. The OED cites
such usage in several forms:

"1611 Bible Matt. vi. 31 Wherewithall shall wee be clothed?"

"1613 SHAKES. Hen. VIII, I. iii. 59 That Churchman Beares a bounteous
minde indeed... His dewes fall euery where...  he may, my Lord, H'as
wherewithall."


Thus, the next time some nitpicker challenges Granny's use of a second
"l," simply tell the kind soul to take it up with Shakespeare and the
Bible.


search strategy: OED, wherewithal, wherewith

I hope Granny will find this answer pleasing. If any additional
information is needed, please do not hesitate to ask. Thanks.

---

Clarification of Answer by juggler-ga on 26 Jan 2003 23:54 PST

Thank you very much for the generous tip, Granny. 

Not a big Chaucer fan here either.  I'm inclined to agree with what
Tolkien said about Chaucer: "I do not feel him springlike but
autumnal... and not kinglike but middle-class." Lord of the put-down,
that JRRT. ;-)

Anyway, thanks again. Catch ya later,
j

o lawd, granny was parsing that word all wrong.  she was workin' from
the
-withal side ... http://www.bartleby.com/61/17/W0191700.html  I think
that might've also been how the withalball got started.  thanks for
e-lucidatin' me, baby doll.

FYI, granny is *always* seated and medicated.

not a Chaucer fan,
GB