Withal comes from Middle English with all, a compound of with + all, used as an emphatic adverb meaning 'in addition' or 'nevertheless', from Old English wiþ + eall. In current use it is an adverb meaning "in addition; as well; nevertheless (archaic)". That sense is explained by the older material without requiring a speculative semantic step: the inherited or borrowed base supplies the field of meaning, while the English formation fixes its modern role. The surface form is compositional: its joined elements remain visible in the modern word. The historical chain includes Old English wiþ and Old English eall. Related English forms include with and all. The word's history is thus visible in its construction: the components remain interpretable even after the whole expression has settled into a conventional English meaning.