matter, thing, fact, business, reason, possibly
事 centers on an abstract unit of concern: a matter, thing, or fact. It extends naturally to business (a specific matter) and reason (the matter behind something), while 'possibly' reflects its use in uncertain or conditional expressions.
thing; matter
work; job; labor; labour; business; task; assignment; occupation; employment
event; affair; incident; case; plot; trouble; scandal
article; news story; report; account
important; serious; crucial
accident; incident; trouble
business; enterprise; venture; (commercial) activity; (business) operation; industry
fact; truth; reality
meal (e.g. lunch, dinner)
office
construction work
safety; security; peace; quiet
(police) detective
prior; beforehand; in advance; before the fact; ex ante
situation; (present) state of affairs; circumstances
circumstances; conditions; situation; reasons; state of affairs
office work; clerical work; administration; business; affairs
splendid; magnificent; excellent; fine; superb; beautiful; admirable
military affairs
occurrence; happening; incident; event
reply; answer; response
other people's affairs; someone else's problem
personnel affairs; human affairs; human resources; HR
director; trustee
事 is thought to derive from a hand holding a writing brush or stylus, representing a matter or affair being recorded. The modern form is highly stylized, and the exact historical development is uncertain.
The shape looks like a hand holding a brush over a document: recording a matter or thing. Think of a clerk noting down every fact and business affair.
For ジ, imagine a busy office where every matter is marked with a big letter 'G' on a file: G -> ジ, and the 'G' stands for the general business of the day.