Etymologically
Log in

profano

Etymology and origin of the Latin word profano

History Permalink
Confidence
Probable
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Cato
Ultimate origin
Latin (profānus)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [prɔˈfaː.noː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [proˈfaː.no][1]

Forms

profānō (present infinitive profānāre, perfect active profānāvī, supine profānātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

The OLD derives it from profānus “not sacred” with -ō.[2] Lewis & Short, Georges and Gaffiot separate an older sacrificial sense “to offer before the temple”, from prō and fānum “shrine”, and Wiktionary follows them, and the TLL finds the sense “to profane” clearly derived from ⟨profānus⟩.[3][4][1][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is Cato, of an offering before a shrine.[2][4] Köbler dates Cato 234–149 BC.[6]

Semantic evolution

In Cato it meant to offer, dedicate before a temple; from Livy it meant to deprive of sacred status, deconsecrate, and to violate the sanctity of, desecrate, profane, also figuratively.[2][3][4]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it means to desecrate, profane, defile.[7] English profane (late 14th century) is from it, and it survives as French profaner and Spanish profanar.[8][1]

Timeline

  • 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of an offering.[2][6]
  • 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of deconsecrating and desecrating.[2][6]
  • late 14th century – English profane (verb) is recorded.[8]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To offer (before a shrine).[2][4]
  2. To deconsecrate.[2]
  3. To desecrate, profane.[2][7]

Word family

  • profanatio
  • profanator

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b c d Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  5. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  6. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  7. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
Cite this entry

“Profano.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/profano. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·