小遣い
こづかい · kodukai · JLPT N2 · noun
pocket money
💰 小 (small) + 遣い (spending) = small spending, i.e. pocket money
遣い comes from the verb 遣う, to spend or use. A kodukai is the small sum a child is given to spend on their own, so 小 (small) + 遣い (spending) fits the meaning exactly.
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.