Origin and history of withhold

"keep fast or close," as in the grasp of the hand; "control or prevent the movement of" by grasping or constraint; Middle English holden, earlier halden, from Old English haldan (Anglian), healdan (West Saxon), "to contain; to grasp; to retain" (liquid, etc.); also "observe, fulfill (a custom, etc.); have as one's own; have in mind," of opinions, etc.; also "possess, control, rule; detain, lock up; to foster, cherish, keep watch over; continue in existence or action; keep back from action."

It was a class VII strong verb (past tense heold, past participle healden), from Proto-Germanic *haldanan (source also of Old Saxon haldan, Old Frisian halda, Old Norse halda, Dutch houden, German halten "to hold," Gothic haldan "to tend").

Based on the Gothic sense (also a secondary meaning in Old English), the Germanic verb is "generally accepted" [OED 1989] to have meant originally "to keep, tend, watch over" (as grazing cattle) and later expanded in the direction of "have as one's own."

The ancestral sense would be preserved in behold. The original past participle holden was replaced by held from 16c. but survives in some legal jargon and in beholden.

The commercial sense of "not sell" (certain goods or products) is by 1875, American English; that of "keep back, delay" (payment, etc.) is by 1891. The modern use of the verb in the sense of "lock up, keep in custody" is attested by 1868.

To hold back in the figurative senses is attested from 1530s, transitive, "restrain;" and by 1570s, intransitive, "retain."

To hold down (transitive) "keep in subjugation" is by 1530s; the sense of "remain in" a position, "continue to occupy" is by 1886, U.S. colloquial.

To hold off "keep aloof, keep at a distance" is attested by early 15c. (transitive), also "to delay." The intransitive sense of "keep (oneself) at a distance or away" is by c. 1600.

To hold forth "speak in public, preach" is by 1660s, from Philippians ii.16, from the earlier meaning "proffer, set forth" (1550s). Earlier it meant "keep up, maintain; go forth" (Middle English). 

To hold on is attested by early 13c. as "maintain one's course of action, continue, keep up;" by 1830 as "cling, keep one's grip (on something)." It is attested by 1839 as "wait! stop!" and in that sense was criticized at the time as a "very vulgar" Americanism.

To hold (one's) tongue "be silent, keep one's tongue still" is from late 13c.; hold (one's) peace in the same sense is by c. 1300. To hold one's nose to avoid a bad smell is by c.1200 (heold nease). To hold (one's) own "keep one's present condition or advantage" is by early 14c.

To hold (one's) horses figuratively as "be patient" is by 1840, American English (early use seems to cluster in New Orleans); the notion is of keeping a tight grip on the reins.

To hold (someone's) hand in the figurative sense of "give comfort or moral support" is by 1935. To hold water in the figurative sense of "be consistent, valid or sound throughout" is by 1620s, perhaps 1530s.

To have and to hold have been paired alliteratively at least since c. 1200, originally in reference to marriage but also of real estate.

originally noting opposition, competition, entanglement, but in Middle English shifting to note association or connection; proximity, harmony, alliance.

It is from Old English wið "against, opposite, from;" also "toward, by, near." The sense shifted in Middle English to denote association, combination, and union, partly by influence of Old Norse cognate viðr "against," but also "toward, at," and also perhaps by association with Latin cum "with" (as in pugnare cum "fight with"). Also compare obsolete wine "friend," related to win "to strive, struggle, fight" (see win (v.)) probably on the notion of "comrade-in-arms."

In this sense denoting company or connection it replaced Old English mid, which survives as a prefix (as in midwife; see mid (prep.)). The original sense of "against, in opposition" is retained in compounds such as withhold, withdraw, withstand.

The Old English word is a shortened form related to the first element in widdershins, from Proto-Germanic *withro- "against" (source also of Old Saxon withar "against," Middle Dutch, Dutch weder, Dutch weer "again," Gothic wiþra "against, opposite").

This is reconstructed to be from PIE *wi-tero-, literally "more apart," suffixed form of *wi- "separation" (source also of Sanskrit vi "apart," Avestan vi- "asunder," Sanskrit vitaram "further, farther," Old Church Slavonic vutoru "other, second"). Compare widow (n.).

Phrase with child "pregnant" is recorded from c. 1200. With it "cool, hip, up-to-date" is recorded by 1931 in Black English. What's with? "what are the circumstances of or explanation for" is by 1940.

With and by are so closely allied in many of their uses that it is impossible to lay down a rule by which these uses may at all times be distinguished. The same may be said, but to a less extent, of with and through. [Century Dictionary, 1891]

French avec "with" was originally avoc, from Vulgar Latin *abhoc, from apud hoc, literally "with this."

late 14c., "the exercising of restraint, refusal to give (something) up, that which is retained," verbal noun from withhold (v.).