'unprofitably' originates from the prefix 'un-' meaning 'not' and the word 'profitable', which comes from Latin 'profitabilis', meaning 'advantageous'.

'unprofitably' evolved from the Middle English word 'unprofitabel', which was derived from Old French 'unprofitable', eventually becoming the modern English word 'unprofitably'.

Initially, it meant 'not advantageous or beneficial', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.