'entertainable' originates from Latin, ultimately via Old French and Middle English: the verb 'entertain' comes from Old French 'entretenir' (from Latin 'intertenere' or elements 'inter-' + 'tenere'), where 'inter-' meant 'between/among' and 'tenere' meant 'to hold'. The adjectival suffix '-able' (from Latin '-abilis') was later added to form 'entertainable'.

'intertenere' in Latin gave rise to Old French 'entretenir' (meaning 'to hold together, maintain'), which passed into Middle English as forms such as 'enterten'/'entertainen' and later developed the modern sense 'to amuse or hold the attention'. The adjective 'entertainable' was formed by adding the suffix '-able' to the modern verb 'entertain'.

Initially the root meant 'to hold' or 'to maintain (hold together)', but over time the verb shifted toward the sense 'to receive or amuse' (to hold someone's attention). The adjective 'entertainable' now means 'able to be amused or held in interest'.