少女
しょうじょ · shoujo · JLPT N3 · noun
lass
👧 少女 = few (少) + woman (女): few years, so a young girl
少 means few or little, 女 means woman or female. A female of few years is a girl. The reading shoujo is the same word English borrowed for shoujo manga, comics aimed at young girls.
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.
女 — pictograph of a kneeling woman
女 is a pictograph originating in oracle bone script, depicting a person kneeling with arms crossed in front, a posture associated with women in ancient China. Over time the form was simplified and squared off into the modern character. Its core meaning of 'woman' or 'female' has remained stable for over three thousand years.