省
セイ, ショウ, かえり.みる, はぶ.く, さとし, み

focus, government ministry, conserve

JLPT2 G4 S9 F548

目 eye + 少 here a variant of 生# (slender grass shoots) → narrow the eyes in observing (compare 睜) → *inspect minutely* → *ponder*; *inquire*; *confirm*. *Reduce* and *omit* are borrowed meanings → *governmental office*; *unit of an administrative district* (← local authority of reduced/lesser power ← centralized power of the ruler).

[Full Kanji Etymology List]