profano Latin · revision 10109
17 Oct 2026, 01:38 by bogdan “New Latin entry (sources: de Vaan, OLD, Lewis & Short, TLL...)” current version
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+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=derivation|attested=Cato|origins=la profānus}}
+
+ ==Pronunciation==
+ * IPA (Classical): [prɔˈfaː.noː]^(Wiktionary)
+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [proˈfaː.no]^(Wiktionary)
+
+ ==Forms==
+ '''profānō''' (present infinitive profānāre, perfect active profānāvī, supine profānātum); first conjugation^(Wiktionary)
+
+ ==Etymology==
+ The OLD derives it from [[profānus]] “not sacred” with [[m|la|-ō]].^(OLD 2012) Lewis & Short, Georges and Gaffiot separate an older sacrificial sense “to offer before the temple”, from [[m|la|prō]] and [[fānum]] “shrine”, and Wiktionary follows them, and the TLL finds the sense “to profane” clearly derived from ⟨profānus⟩.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Gaffiot 2016)^(Wiktionary)^(TLL)
+
+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==
+ The OLD's earliest citation is Cato, of an offering before a shrine.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) Köbler dates Cato 234–149 BC.^(Köbler 2010)
+
+ ==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.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Gaffiot 2016)
+
+ In Ecclesiastical Latin it means to desecrate, profane, defile.^(Stelten 1995) English ''profane'' (late 14th century) is from it, and it survives as French ''profaner'' and Spanish ''profanar''.^(Etymonline)^(Wiktionary)
+
+ ==Timeline==
+ * 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of an offering.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)
+ * 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of deconsecrating and desecrating.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)
+ * late 14th century – English ''profane'' (verb) is recorded.^(Etymonline)
+
+ ==Meanings==
+ ===Verb===
+ # To offer (before a shrine).^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016)
+ # To deconsecrate.^(OLD 2012)
+ # To [[m|en|desecrate]], [[m|en|profane]].^(OLD 2012)^(Stelten 1995)
+
+ ==Word family==
+ * [[profanatio]]
+ * [[profanator]]
+
+ ==Related words==
+ * [[profānus]]
+ * [[fānum]]
+ * [[en|profane]]
+
+ ==References==
+ {{reflist}}