少々
しょうしょう · shoushou · JLPT N3 · adverb
a little
🤏 少々 = little + little: the 々 mark repeats 少, the kanji from 少し
々 is the repeat mark, so the word is 少 said twice: shou + shou. Same kanji as 少し (sukoshi), but with the Chinese-style reading, which makes it formal. You hear it in 少々お待ちください, the polite way to say one moment, please.
少 — 小 (small) + 丿 (slash stroke)
Originally a pictograph showing four small dots or grains, suggesting 'few' or 'small in quantity'. Over time it became distinguished from 小 (small) by adding a downward stroke. The core meaning shifted toward 'few' or 'little in number', while 小 kept the sense of physical smallness.