小数
しょうすう · shousuu · JLPT N2 · noun
fraction
小 = small, 数 = number: a small number, a part of a whole
Shousuu combines 小 (small) and 数 (number). It names numbers smaller than one whole, such as 0.5, and the decimal point marks the split.
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.
数 — 婁 (lóu, phonetic) + 攵 (action radical)
数 is a phono-semantic compound. The right side 攵 (a hand holding a stick) suggests an action, originally tallying or counting by striking marks. The left side 婁 supplies the sound. Over time the meaning broadened from 'to count' to 'number' and 'several'.