kulungan

Kulungan is a Filipino noun that refers to an enclosure designed to confine something or someone. It is commonly used to denote a cage or pen for animals, as in kulungan ng manok (chicken coop), kulungan ng ibon (birdcage), or kulungan ng isda (fish pen). The term can also describe any enclosing structure that restricts movement or access.

In addition to physical enclosures, kulungan can denote a place of confinement for people, i.e., a jail or prison. In this sense, it is used in everyday speech to refer to detention or confinement: for example, a person may say they were kept in kulungan, or that someone was sent to kulungan. The word appears in various compound phrases that emphasize confinement, such as kulungan ng hayop or kulungan ng isda in agricultural and aquaculture contexts.

Kulungan also features in figurative usage to describe restriction or limitation beyond the physical sense, such as metaphorical confinement of ideas or freedom. While the term is widely understood in Tagalog-speaking regions, it is often complemented by more specific terms like hawla (cage) or bilangguan (prison) depending on the context and level of formality.

See also: cage, pen, prison, confinement, aquaculture enclosure.