What's the deal with wherewithal?

According to "juggler-ga" at Google Answers (check it out, it's a good read), understanding wherewithal works better if it's parsed wherewith-al rather than where-withal

Using Chaucer quotes from the OED, juggler establishes wherewith as originally having an interregatory meaning of with what and explains that the practice of adding where to prepositions does not imply location. Moving on to some Shakespeare quotes, juggler shows how wherewith took the form of a conjunction meaning with which and then concludes:

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.

As for the -al, apparently with, withal and withall were used interchangeably by the likes of Shakespeare and the KJB scribes.