Jawan (from Persian جوان Javān, meaning "young") refers to a young man in Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, and Punjabi. It can also refer to a "donkey" in the Bengali language. In the Indian subcontinent, it has additionally taken on the reference to an infantryman, and is used in much the same meaning as soldier in English. This term is specific to all ranks below that of a Commissioned Officer, primarily used in the armed forces of India and Pakistan.