小児科
しょうにか · shounika · JLPT N1 · noun
pediatrics
🩺 小 small + 児 child + 科 department = the small-child department, i.e. pediatrics
小 means small, 児 means child, and 科 is a medical specialty or department. Together they name the department that treats young patients.
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.
科 — grain 禾 + measure 斗
科 combines 禾 (grain) and 斗 (a dipper/measure), originally depicting the act of measuring or grading grain. From this, it extended to mean classification, category, and branch of study. Today it commonly appears in words for science (科学) and academic disciplines.