小卒
xiǎo zú · HSK 7
a nobody
♟️ 小 xiǎo = small/minor + 卒 zú = soldier; a small soldier is the chess pawn or a nobody
小 — three small strokes around a central vertical
小 is a pictograph originally showing three tiny dots or specks, suggesting small particles or grains. Over time the dots became stylized strokes flanking a central line. The core meaning 'small' has stayed remarkably stable from oracle bone script to today.