'profane' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'profanus', where 'pro-' meant 'before' or 'outside' and 'fanum' meant 'temple'.

'profane' changed from Latin 'profanus' and Late Latin 'profanare' ('to treat as common or unholy'), passed into Old French as 'profaner' and Middle English as 'profanen', eventually becoming the modern English 'profane'.

Initially, it meant 'outside the temple' (i.e., not sacred or outside the sacred precinct), but over time it evolved to the current sense of 'to treat something sacred with disrespect' or 'to desecrate'.