The origin of Deev (Dīv) may come from the Vedic deities (devas) who were later demonized in the Persian religion (after Zoroaster funded Zoroastrianism/Mazdayasna).
In Ferdowsi's tenth-century Shâhnâmeh (the Persian/Iranian long Epic poem/book, with over 50,000 two-line verses) they are already the evil entities endowed with roughly human shape and supernatural powers familiar from later folklore, in which the deevs are described as ugly demons with supernatural strength and power.
They are capable of transformation and performing magic. They can be lazy, ignorance, rebellious, provocative, sleepy—among many others—but, they are equipped with magic! With their magical powers, they could turn people into statues by touching them.