dust
埃 centers on fine particles of earth or matter that settle as dust.
埃 combines 土 (earth) with 矣, which likely contributes the sound. The character expresses dust as fine earth particles.
The left side is earth 土, and the right side 矣 looks like a pile of fine grains. Picture a mound of earth crumbling into tiny dust particles.
For アイ, imagine an eye irritated by dust: eye -> アイ, and the dust from the earth gets in your eye.
dust
cloud of dust (sand, etc.)
dust; cloud of dust
scratch the surface and you will find dirt; look close enough and you will find the flaws; hit something and dust comes out
one ten-billionth
dusty; dust-covered
dust protection; dust cover
common puffball (Lycoperdon perlatum); warted puffball
white mite (Tarsonemidae spp.); thread-footed mite
dust; dirt