дев

Bulgarian

Etymology

Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish دیو (div), from Classical Persian دیو (dēw), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *deywós.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [dɛf]

• Audio (Standard Bulgarian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛf

Noun

дев • (dev) m (folklore)

1. dev, demihuman, giant

Declension

Declension of дев

	singular	plural
indefinite	дев dev	де́вове dévove
definite (subject form)	де́вът dévǎt	де́вовете dévovete
definite (object form)	де́ва déva
count form	—	де́ва déva
vocative form	де́ве déve	де́вове dévove

Alternative forms

• деф (def), див (div)

Coordinate terms

• джин (džin, “jinn”)
• ифри́т (ifrít, “ifrit”)
• шайта́н (šajtán, “shaitan”)

Related terms

• диване́ (divané, “brat, stuborn child”)

References

• Nayden Gerov; Тодор Панчев (1908), “*девъ и дивъ”, in Допълнение на българския рѣчникъ [Dictionary of the Bulgarian language] (in Bulgarian), volume 6, Plovdiv: Печатница "Трудъ" на Петко Бѣловѣждовъ, page 88
• Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1971), “дев, деф”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 1 (А – З), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, →ISBN, page 330

Kumyk

Etymology

Borrowed from Classical Persian دیوْ (dēw), from Proto-Iranian *daiva-. Cognate with Turkish dev, Azerbaijani div.

Noun

дев • (dew)

1. (mythology) div, mythical creature (supernatural being in Turkic and Iranian mythology)
2. giant, colossus (being of great size and strength)
3. hero, warrior (especially of extraordinary strength)

Adjective

дев • (dev)

1. gigantic, colossal (of enormous size)
2. heroic, mighty (possessing great strength)

References

• Бамматов Б.Г., Гаджиахмедов Н.Э. (2011) "Кумыкско-русский словарь". Махачкала.

Nogai

Etymology

From Proto-Turkic *tē-.

Verb

дев • (dev)

1. to speak, talk

References

• N. A. Baskakov, S.A Kalmykov, editor (1963), “дев”, in Nogajsko-Russkij Slovarʹ [Nogai-Russian Dictionary], Moscow: karačajevo-čerkesskij naučno- issledovatelʹskij institut jazyka, literatury i istorii, →ISBN

Russian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [dʲef]

Etymology 1

Noun

дев • (dev) f anim pl

1. genitive/accusative plural of де́ва (déva)

Etymology 2

Participle

дев • (dev)

1. short past adverbial perfective participle of деть (detʹ)

Tajik

Рустам дев ро мекушад ― Rustam slays a demon

Etymology

Inherited from Classical Persian دیوْ (dēw).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dev/, [d̪ew]

Noun

дев • (dev) (Persian spelling دیو)

1. demon, devil; evil supernatural creature.

   Synonym: шайтон (šayton)

   1. (Islam) an evil or wicked jinn
   2. (Zoroastrianism) daeva

Inflection

Inflection of дев

		singular	plural
sound	broken2	or broken2
bare		дев (dev)	девон (devon)1	[Term?]	[Term?]
definite object		девро (devro)	девонро (devonro)1	ро (ro)	ро (ro)
izofa		деви (dev-i)	девони (devon-i)1	и (i)	и (i)
indefinite, definite relative	bare	деве (deve)	—	—	—
	object	деверо (devero)	—	—	—

¹The plural form in -ҳо (-ho) (девҳо (devho)), is also acceptable.

Possessive forms of дев

		singular	plural
sound	broken2	broken2
bare	1st singular	девам (devam)	девонам (devonam)1	ам (am)	ам (am)
	2nd singular	деват (devat)	девонат (devonat)1	ат (at)	ат (at)
	3rd singular	деваш (devaš)	девонаш (devonaš)1	аш (aš)	аш (aš)
	1st plural	девамон (devamon)	девонамон (devonamon)1	амон (amon)	амон (amon)
	2nd plural	деватон (devaton)	девонатон (devonaton)1	атон (aton)	атон (aton)
	3rd plural	девашон (devašon)	девонашон (devonašon)1	ашон (ašon)	ашон (ašon)
		singular	plural
sound	broken2	broken2
definite object	1st singular	девамро (devamro)	девонамро (devonamro)1	амро (amro)	амро (amro)
	2nd singular	деватро (devatro)	девонатро (devonatro)1	атро (atro)	атро (atro)
	3rd singular	девашро (devašro)	девонашро (devonašro)1	ашро (ašro)	ашро (ašro)
	1st plural	девамонро (devamonro)	девонамонро (devonamonro)1	амонро (amonro)	амонро (amonro)
	2nd plural	деватонро (devatonro)	девонатонро (devonatonro)1	атонро (atonro)	атонро (atonro)
	3rd plural	девашонро (devašonro)	девонашонро (devonašonro)1	ашонро (ašonro)	ашонро (ašonro)

¹The plural form in -ҳо (-ho) (девҳо (devho)), is also acceptable.

Derived terms

• дева (deva)
• девбача (devbača)
• девдор (devdor)

Further reading

• дев on the Tajik Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^tg
• “дев”, in Вожаҷӯ / واژه‌جو [Vožajü] (in Tajik), 2025
• Jilani, Jon (2009), Tajik-English/English-Tajik practical dictionary, New York: Hippocrene Books, →ISBN, →LCCN, page 23