How does 驕's 2021 meanings appertain to its semantic component 馬?

Question

I know little about horses. Did the Chinese think horses were arrogant? Why?

Above is Yellowbridge above. Below is Oxford Chinese Dictionary (2010) p 365.

Answer 1

A horse might not directly represent 'arrogance', but status, wealth, power, elite, proudness, and unruliness are all potential cause of arrogance

• Owning horses was a sign of wealth and power in the time most of the population were farmers

• The number of horses you were allowed to use for a carriage indicated your status, No matter how wealthy you were, if you were not a noble, you could not have a four horses carriage and only the emperor could use a six horses carriage

• Only Elite warriors ride horses

• Wild horses are proud, unruly

Notice: 'proud' and 'arrogant' are very similar, differ mostly in degree of outward expression. 'proud' is more likely the original meaning of 骄 and 'arrogant' is a logical extension

Answer 2

Tl;dr: Simply put, yes (point 1.). But there are etymological uncertainties (points 2. and 3.).

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0. I do not think ownership or riding of a horse (i.e., the horse-owner or -rider) contributes etymologically to the meaning of the character. That is to say, I believe this is rather far-fetched.

馬高六尺爲驕。从馬，喬聲。《詩》曰：我馬唯驕。一曰：野馬。

1. The above is the Shuowen explanation for 驕: a six-feet horse. 'Sturdiness' (or 'strength', see 驕陽, 'scorching sun') and 'pride; arrogance' are probably derived from its impressive stature. (Shuowen also gives the explanation 'a wild horse'. Duan Yucai (段玉裁) from the Qing Dynasty thinks 'arrogance' arises from here: 一曰野馬。凡驕恣之義當是由此引伸。) At any rate, there is semantic extension from an equine adjective to a general adjective.

2. How credible is Shuowen? It gives the Shijing citation 我馬唯驕, but this is not found in existing versions of Shijing. We find 駒 in place of 驕 in Brilliant are the Flowers (皇皇者華):

   我馬維駒，六轡如濡。載馳載驅，周爰咨諏。

   我馬維騏，六轡如絲。載馳載驅，周爰咨謀。

   我馬維駱，六轡沃若。載馳載驅，周爰咨度。

   我馬維駰，六轡既均。載馳載驅，周爰諮詢。

   維 here functions like a copula,¹ suggesting syntactical equivalence between 我馬 ('my horse') and the characters containing the 馬-radical. It is therefore fairly certain that 駒, 騏, 駱, and 駰 are types of horses, or equine adjectives. In fact, they mean 'young horse', 'piebald horse', 'white and black-maned horse', and 'gray horse' (trans. James Legge) respectively.

3. We are certain that 驕 should also be a type of horse, or an equine adjective; the only uncertainty is whether there is equivalence between 驕 (a six-feet horse) and 駒 (a young horse). Duan Yucai, with the help of two other Odes, argues the original character should be 驕, but it was changed to 駒 for the sake of rhyme (with 濡 and 諏; 三詩義皆當作驕而俗人多改作駒者，以駒與蔞株濡諏爲韵。驕則非韵。). Logically, young horses can yet be ridden (駒未可駕車。故三詩斷非用駒本義。); therefore Duan is a proponent of retaining 驕 in the verse.

¹ 呂珍玉（2007）《詩經》「維」字用法與詞義研究。興大人文學報，38，33–72。

Answer 3

I found this this, 骄 is simplied 驕.

马高六尺为骄……本义为马壮健。引申指“自满，自高自大，不服从” 、“猛烈”

A horse with six (ancient Chinese) feet hight is 骄 whose original meaning is "strong horse", gradually it was used to describe pride / arrogant or unruly related meanings.