profanation (n.)
"act of violating sacred things or treating them with contempt or irreverence," 1550s, from French profanation (Old French prophanation, 15c.) or directly from Late Latin profanationem (nominative profanatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of profanare "render unholy, deprive of sanctity" (see profane (adj.)).
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mid-15c., prophane, "un-ecclesiastical, secular, not devoted to sacred purposes, unhallowed," from Old French prophane, profane (12c.) and directly from Latin profanus (in Medieval Latin often prophanus) "unholy, not sacred, not consecrated;" of persons "not initiated" (whence, in Late Latin, "ignorant, unlearned"), also "wicked, impious."
According to Lewis & Short, de Vaan, etc., this is from the phrase pro fano, literally "out in front of the temple" (here perhaps with a sense of "not admitted into the temple (with the initiates)," from pro "before" (from PIE root *per- (1) "forward," hence "in front of, before") + fano, ablative of fanum "temple" (from PIE root *dhes-, forming words for religious concepts). The sense of "irreverent toward God or holy things" is from 1550s. Related: Profanely.
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updated on November 29, 2020
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