kawal

Kawal is a word found in Malay and Indonesian languages that functions mainly as a verb meaning to guard, monitor, or regulate. It appears in phrases describing security, order, or control of processes.

The related noun kawalan denotes control or guarding, and it is used in compound terms such as kawalan lalu lintas (traffic control), kawalan harga (price control), or kawalan pergerakan (movement control). The derived verb mengawal means to guard or to monitor; the agent noun pengawal means a guard or bodyguard; the noun pengawalan refers to the act or practice of guarding or controlling.

In usage, kawal stresses active supervision and is common in formal and administrative contexts, especially where regulation or security is needed. It is distinguished from synonyms such as menjaga (to take care of) and mengawasi (to supervise from a distance). In Indonesian, the terms pengawalan and pengawasan are often used for regulatory surveillance and oversight; kawalan is a more compact form appearing in technical or policy language.

Kawal may also be found as a surname or place name in some communities, though it is not widely documented as a standard geographic or personal-name term in major dictionaries. See also kawalan, pengawal, mengawal.