Ahriman
proper noun
Forms Ariman Ahirman Ahrimen Ahrimanes
- proper noun (Zoroastrianism) The hypostasis of chaos, destruction, and evil.
Etymology
Derived from Classical Persian اَهْرِمَن (ahriman) or Iranian Persian اَهْریمَن (ahriman), from Middle Persian 𐭠𐭧𐭫𐭬𐭭𐭩 (ʾḥlmny /ahreman/), from Avestan 𐬀𐬢𐬭𐬀⸱𐬨𐬀𐬌𐬥𐬌𐬌𐬎 (aŋra.maⁱniiu), compound of 𐬀𐬢𐬭𐬀 (aŋra, “destruction, destructive”) and 𐬨𐬀𐬌𐬥𐬌𐬌𐬎 (maⁱniiu, “spirit, mind, essence, emanation etc.”). Definable through the antithetical 𐬯𐬞𐬆𐬧𐬙𐬀⸱𐬨𐬀𐬌𐬥𐬌𐬌𐬎 (spəṇta.maⁱniiu, “bounteous spirit”). Doublet of Angra Mainyu.
Webster’s 1913
- noun The Evil Principle or Being of the ancient Persians; the Prince of Darkness as opposer to Ormuzd, the King of Light.
Etymology [Per.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “Ahriman”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details