1590s, "liable," from Anglo-French amenable, Middle French amener "answerable" (to the law), from à "to" (see ad-) + mener "to lead," from Latin minare "to drive (cattle) with shouts," variant of minari "threaten" (see menace, n.). Sense of "tractable" is from 1803, from notion of disposed to answer or submit to influence. Related: Amenably.