When the term amenable was introduced to the English language in the late 16th century, it initially referred to someone who could be held accountable in a legal setting. Over time, this evolved to signify someone who is easily influenced or persuaded. The word originates from the Old French term amener, meaning “to bring”, which consists of the prefix a- (derived from Latin ad and Proto-Indo-European hed, “at”) and the verb mener, meaning “to lead”. In Latin, as the deponent minari, it originally meant “to threaten” but transitioned to “lead” through the concept of guiding animals. Minari is also the root of English words like menace, minacious, and demeanor, and may stem from the Proto-Indo-European root men, meaning “project”, or mey, “small”.
