Etymology

From Middle Persian dwz ‎(“thief”), derived from Proto-Indo-Iranian *duš- ‎(“bad, wrong”), from Proto-Indo-European *dus- ‎(“bad, wrong”). From the same root also old compound دشمن ‎(došman, “enemy”). Cognate with Sanskrit दुर् ‎(dus-, “bad”), Avestan 𐬛𐬎𐬱 ‎(duš-, “bad”) and Ancient Greek δυσ- ‎(dus-, “bad”).