馴

• Animal context: To tame, break, or train (e.g., a horse or dog).
• Human context: Docility, obedience, or being "civilized." In a social sense, it often implies successful socialization—the state of having internalized the rhythms and expectations of a society.
• General sense: Habituation; to become accustomed to.

• Verb: Can be transitive ("to tame/accustom something") or intransitive ("to become docile/familiar").
• Adjective: "Docile," "meek," or "familiar." When paired with terms for habit or proficiency (such as 熟), the sense leans toward being "well-accustomed to" rather than "obedient to a master."

• 馴 vs. 訓 (Instruction): While both relate to training, 訓 is the pedagogical act (the teaching), whereas 馴 is the behavioral result (the state of being trained). The use of 馴 suggests that the instruction has been internalized as a habit.
• 馴 vs. 順 (Compliance/Harmony): 順 typically describes alignment with a natural flow or a superior's will (harmony). 馴 implies a prior state of wildness or resistance that has been overcome through process and habituation.

Simplified variant: U+9A6F.

In philosophical or legal texts, look for 馴 as a metaphor for self-cultivation—the bringing of "wild" human nature under the control of ritual (li) or law.