Meaning

noun power to direct or determine

noun a relation of constraint of one entity (thing or person or group) by another

noun (physiology) regulation or maintenance of a function or action or reflex etc

originFrom Middle English controllen, from Old French contrerole, from Medieval Latin contrārotulus (“a counter-roll or register used to verify accounts”), from Latin contrā (“against, opposite”) + Medieval Latin rotulus, Latin rotula (“roll, a little wheel”), diminutive of rota (“a wheel”). Partly displaced native Old English wealdan and Old English wieldan, whence their merged reflex English wield.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0