bewist

The story

1. Old English · inherited frombīwist“sustenance, food, provision, necessities”
2. Middle English · inherited frombiwist
3. English todaybewist

From Middle English biwist, biwest, from Old English bīwist (“sustenance, food, provision, necessities”), equivalent to be- + wist (“being”), or by- + wist (“being”). More at be-, was.