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Origin and history of amenable

amenable(adj.)

1590s, "liable to make answer or defense, accountable," from Anglo-French amenable, from Old French amener "bring, take, conduct, lead" (to the law), from "to" (see ad-) + mener "to lead," from Latin minare "to drive (cattle) with shouts," variant of minari "to threaten," also "to jut, project" (from PIE root *men- (2) "to project"). The sense of "tractable" is from 1803, on the notion of "disposed to answer or submit to influence." Related: Amenably.

also from 1590s

Entries linking to amenable

amenability(n.)

"amenableness, liability to answer, disposition to respond to," 1761; see amenable + -ity.

amenableness(n.)

"liability to answer, disposition to respond to," 1830, from amenable + -ness.

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