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Deva (Sanskrit: , ) means "heavenly, divine, anything of excellence", and is also one of the terms for a deity in Hinduism.〔Monier Monier-Williams, A Sanskrit-English Dictionary” Etymologically and Philologically Arranged to cognate Indo-European Languages, Motilal Banarsidass, page 492〕 Deva is masculine, and the related feminine equivalent is devi. In the earliest Vedic literature, all supernatural beings are called Asuras.〔Wash Edward Hale (1999), Ásura in Early Vedic Religion, Motilal Barnarsidass, ISBN 978-8120800618, pages 5-11, 22, 99-102〕〔Monier Monier-Williams, A Sanskrit-English Dictionary” Etymologically and Philologically Arranged to cognate Indo-European Languages, Motilal Banarsidass, page 121〕 The concepts and legends evolve in ancient Indian literature, and by late Vedic period, benevolent supernatural beings are referred to as ''Deva-Asuras''. In post-Vedic texts, such as the Puranas and the Itihasas of Hinduism, the Devas represent the good, and the Asuras the bad.〔〔 In some medieval Indian literature, ''Devas'' are also referred to as Suras and contrasted with their equally powerful, but malevolent half-brothers referred to as the Asuras.〔(Encyclopaedia Britannica )〕 ''Devas'' along with ''Asuras'', Yaksha (nature spirits) and Rakshasas (ghosts, ogres) are part of Indian mythology, and ''Devas'' feature in one of many cosmological theories in Hinduism.〔Don Handelman (2013), One God, Two Goddesses, Three Studies of South Indian Cosmology, Brill Academic, ISBN 978-9004256156, pages 23-29〕〔Wendy Doniger (1988), Textual Sources for the Study of Hinduism, Manchester University Press, ISBN 978-0719018664, page 67〕 ==Etymology== ''Deva'' is a Sanskrit word found in Vedic literature of 2nd millennium BCE. Monier Williams translates it as "heavenly, divine, terrestrial things of high excellence, exalted, shining ones".〔〔Klaus Klostermaier (2010), A Survey of Hinduism, 3rd Edition, State University of New York Press, ISBN 978-0791470824, pages 101-102〕 The concept also is used to refer to deity or god.〔 The Sanskrit ''deva-'' derives from Indo-Iranian '' *dev-'' which in turn descends from the Proto-Indo-European word, '' *deiwos'', originally an adjective meaning "celestial" or "shining", which is a (not synchronic Sanskrit) vrddhi derivative from the root '' *diw'' meaning "to shine", especially as the day-lit sky. The feminine form of '' *deiwos'' is '' *deiwih2'', which descends into Indic languages as ''devi'', in that context meaning "female deity". Also deriving from '' *deiwos'', and thus cognates of ''deva'', are Lithuanian Dievas (Latvian Dievs, Prussian Deiwas), Germanic Tiwaz (seen in English "''Tue''sday") and the related Old Norse Tivar (gods), and Latin ''deus'' "god" and ''divus'' "divine", from which the English words "divine", "deity", French "dieu", Portuguese "deus", Spanish "dios" and Italian "dio", also "Zeys/''Ζεύς''" - "Dias/''Δίας''", the Greek father of the gods, are derived. It is related to '' *Dyeus'' which while from the same root, may originally have referred to the "heavenly shining father", and hence to "Father Sky", the chief God of the Indo-European pantheon, continued in Sanskrit Dyaus. The bode of the Devas is Dyuloka. According to Douglas Harper, the etymological roots of ''Deva'' mean "a shining one," from *div- "to shine," and it is a cognate with Greek dios "divine" and Zeus, and Latin deus "god" (Old Latin deivos).〔(Deva ) Etymology Dictionary, Douglas Harper (2015)〕 Deva is masculine, and the related feminine equivalent is devi.〔Monier Monier-Williams, A Sanskrit-English Dictionary” Etymologically and Philologically Arranged to cognate Indo-European Languages, Motilal Banarsidass, page 496〕 Etymologically, the cognates of ''Devi'' are Latin ''dea'' and Greek ''thea''.〔John Stratton Hawley and Donna Marie Wulff (1998), Devi: Goddesses of India, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-8120814912, page 2〕 When capitalized, ''Devi'' or ''Mata'' refers to goddess as divine mother in Hinduism.〔John Stratton Hawley and Donna Marie Wulff (1998), Devi: Goddesses of India, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-8120814912, pages 18-21〕 ''Deva'' is also referred to as ''Devatā'',〔 while ''Devi'' as ''Devika''.〔 The word ''Deva'' is also a proper name or part of name in Indian culture, where it refers to "one who wishes to excel, overcome" or the "seeker of, master of or a best among-".〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Deva (Hinduism)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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