In Zoroastrian religion, a demon or evil spirit opposed to ahura (divine beings); a malevolent supernatural entity.
From Avestan daeva, meaning 'demon' or 'evil spirit.' Related to Sanskrit deva, but in Zoroastrianism daeva came to mean the opposite—evil rather than divine.
Here's a wild linguistic flip: the Sanskrit word deva means 'god,' but the related Avestan daeva means 'demon'—same root word, opposite meanings, showing how religions interpreted the same spirit differently!
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