About
骟 is a phono-semantic compound meaning to castrate livestock, particularly horses. It combines the semantic horse radical 马 on the left, indicating the animal context, with the phonetic component 扇 (shàn) on the right, providing the pronunciation. This character is the simplified form of the traditional 騸, which pairs the traditional horse radical 馬 with the same phonetic element. Originally referring specifically to gelding horses, its meaning broadened within agricultural practice to cover the castration of other male animals like mules and sheep, generally to make them more docile for work. It functions as a precise veterinary and agricultural verb.