It does mean history, or at any rate that's the name of the category that also includes the battle of Hastings. That still leaves the mystery of where the original word comes from. In Icelandic knowledge can be any one of these words: Þekking, kunnátta, vitneskja, vitund or viska. In German I know these words for knowledge: Wissen, Ehrfahrung and Erkenntnis, none of which really match with "nīwlicum" or knowledge. Do you have any bright ideas?