Wordwyrt

profane

/pɹəʊˈfeɪn/proh-FAYN
/pɹoʊˈfeɪn/proh-FAYN

Meaningbefore (outside) the shrine

Common meaning: not sacred

Other meanings: irreverent

‘forward’ + ‘a holy place, a shrine’ → profane

Journey through time

  1. Latinfānum, -ī‘a holy place, a shrine’
  2. Frenchprofane
  3. Englishprofane‘not sacred’ · today

pro- also in: promptpropelproblemproceedprocess

fan also in: fanatic

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin fānum ‘a holy place, a shrine’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Skeat, Etymological Dictionary (1898), entry PROFANE, p. 469 · dictionary scan

Roots

Related words

fanatic

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