'alwise' originates from Middle English, specifically the word 'alweys', where 'al-' meant 'all' and 'weys' meant 'ways'.

'alweys' transformed into the modern English word 'always', and 'alwise' is a dialectal variant that has largely fallen out of use.

Initially, it meant 'at all times', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.