𐎭𐎡𐎺

Old Persian

Etymology

From Proto-Iranian *daywáh, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *daywás, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *deywós. Cognates include Sanskrit देव (deva), Latin deus, Proto-Germanic *Tīwaz (whence the first element in English Tuesday), Proto-Celtic *dēwos.

Noun

𐎭𐎡𐎺 (d-i-v /daiva/) m

1. (Iranian mythology, Zoroastrianism) foreign god, false god

Descendants

• Middle Persian:

  Manichaean script: 𐫅𐫏𐫇 (dyw /⁠dēw⁠/, “evil spirit, demon”)

  Book Pahlavi script: [Book Pahlavi needed] (ŠDYA /⁠dēw⁠/, “evil spirit, demon”)

  • Classical Persian:
    • → Arabic: دِيُوهَا (diyūhā)
    • → Ottoman Turkish: دیو (div)
    • → Urdu: دیو (dīv)
    • Iranian Persian: دیو (div, “demon”)
      • → English: div
  • ⇒ Middle Persian:

    Book Pahlavi script: [Book Pahlavi needed] (dywwk' /⁠dēwōg⁠/, “leech”)

    • Persian: دیوک (divok, divak, “leech”)
• → Aramaic: דיוא (daywā)
  • Classical Syriac: ܕܝܘܐ (daywā)