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Profane

There’s no judgement in this word. It means “seen clearly, plainly, conspicuous" or to "bring to light, show forth, manifest”.

It’s used in a judgmental way today. But... the original definition was to make something very clear, non-judgmental.

Perhaps it became judgmental or “bad” when people didn’t want secrets revealed. There’s an ancient example (older than Christianity) called “profaning the Mystery”, which is to simply “reveal clearly” the ancient Greek Mystery cult’s secrets. Which was punishable by death. Death would be bad to most people.

  • Profaning isn’t bad
  • Profaning the mystery is bad because it will hurt the religion and cause you a bad time
  • Profaning (or making clear) the feeling or essence of our natural acts... is Profanity. Triggers some people. :)

So next time you want clarity on something you can ask someone to profane it!

Lexicon

  • profanes (προφανής) - seen clearly, plainly, conspicuous
LSJ 1940

προφανής ές, foreseen, ὁ π. ἔχθιστος φόνων B. 3.51 ; τὰ π. Arist. EN 1117a21.
seen clearly or plainly, conspicuous, φῶς τῷ Κύρῳ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ π. γενέσθαι X. Cyr. 4.2.15 ; τὰ προφανέστατα εἴδη Thphr. HP 3.18.8. metaph, plain, clear, ἡμῖν προφανῆ Pl. R. 530d ; ἀπὸ τοῦ προφανοῦς openly, Th. 1.35, 66, 2.93, etc. ; ἐκ τοῦ π. Id. 3.43, 6.73, etc. ; ἐκ τοῦ προφανεστάτου DS. 12.39. Adv. -νῶς LXX Si. 51.13, PTeb. 25.5 (ii BC), Plb. 1.21.9, Lysis ap. Iamb. VP 17.77, Gal. 1.643, al. metaph, famous, renowned, Man. 2.362 ; conspicuous, extraordinary, of a disaster, IG 12(8).92.2 (Imbros, ii/i BC) ; irreg. Comp. -ώτερος Ptol. Tetr. 167 (s.v.l.). στομάτων προφανέων f.l. in Hp. Mul. 1.17.

  • prophainou (προφαίνω) - bring to light, show forth, manifest
LSJ 1940

προφαίνω poet. aor.2 Pass. προφάνη B. 5.77 : — bring to light, show forth, manifest, τοῖσι θεοὶ τέραα προὔφαινον Od. 12.394 ; οὐρανῷ σκέλη π. let them be seen, S. El. 753 ; ὡς τέρατα π. Thphr. CP 2.17.4 ; display, τὰς πορφυρίδας Luc. Nigr. 21 ; metaph, Ἀχιλεὺς… Αἴγιναν π. brought it into light, made it illustrious, Pi. I. 8 (7).61 ; — Pass., to be shown forth, come to light, appear, προὐφαίνετο πᾶσα [νηῦς] Od. 13.169 ; προφάνητε Κάστορ καὶ Πολύδευκες Alc. Supp. 12.3, cf. Hp. Aër. 8, Superf. 4, S. Ant. 1149 (lyr.), OT 163 (lyr.), E. Hipp. 1228 ; ψυχὰ προφάνη Μελεάγρου B. l.c. ; προπέφανται ἅπαντα is all open to view, Il. 14.332 ; ἱππέων τάξις μεγάλη ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ π. X. Cyr. 6.3.12 ; c. inf., οὐδὲ προὐφαίνετ' ἰδέσθαι there was not light enough for us to see, Od. 9.143 ; aor. part. Pass. προφανείς, εῖσα, coming forward and appearing, 24.160 ; προφανέντε (v.l. -είσα) ἀνὰ πτολέμοιο γεφύρας Il. 8.378 ; ἐς πόλεμον, ἐς πεδίον προφανέντε, 17.487, 24.332 ; ὥς τις ἀφ' αἵματος ὑμετέρου προφανεῖσα S. OC 246 (anap.) ; appear to the mind, ἄτοπα π. Pl. Chrm. 172e ; πολλά γέ μοι π. τοιαῦτα πρὸ τῆς ψυχῆς dawn upon, Id. Hp. Ma. 300c, cf. 303c ; of sound, to be plainly heard, προὐφάνη κτύπος S. Ph. 202 ; δεινὰ προὐφάνη λέγων Id. OT 790 (sed leg. προὔφηνεν).
show forth by word, indicate or declare, οὔτε μείζον' οὔτ' ἐλάσσονα Id. Tr. 324 ; οἱ ἐφ' ἑκάστης μαντείας προφαινόμενοι θεοί indicated by the oracle, D. 21.54 ; ὁ νῦν π. λόγος Pl. R. 545b. = προτίθημι 1.3, offer, ἆθλα X. Cyr. 2.1.23.
show beforehand, foreshow, esp. of oracles and divine revelations, Hdt. 7.37, S. Tr. 849 (lyr.), X. Cyr. 4.5.15 ; π. πολὺν καρπόν have a great promise of fruit, Thphr. HP 4.14.9 ; folld. by a relat. clause, ὁ δαίμων π. ὡς αὐτὸς μὲν τελευτήσειν… μέλλοι Hdt. 1.210 ; ὅκως στρατιὴν πέμψεις…, οὐ προφαίνεις holdest out no hope that…, Id. 7.161 ; c. inf., τόν μοι ὁ δαίμων π. ἐν τῇ ὄψει ἐπαναστήσεσθαι Id. 3.65. seemingly intr. (the cogn. acc. φάος or φῶς being understood), give forth light, shine forth, οὐδὲ σελήνη οὐρανόθεν προὔφαινε Od. 9.145, cf. Antioch.Astr. in Cat.Cod.Astr. 1.110 ; hold a light before one, Plu. Cic. 22 ; of a torch, λύχνου φαίνοντος Id. Sol. 21 ; ὁ προφαίνων torch-bearer, Id. Cat. Mi. 41.

See also

Ever hear the term "profaning the mystery"?