'ahrimanian' originates from the name 'Ahriman', the Zoroastrian spirit of evil, combined with the suffix '-ian' to denote relation or characteristic.

The term 'Ahriman' comes from the Middle Persian 'Ahriman', which is derived from the Avestan 'Angra Mainyu', meaning 'destructive spirit'.

Initially, it referred specifically to the Zoroastrian spirit of evil, but over time it has been used more broadly to describe anything evil or malevolent.