tears, tearful
洏 centers on the visible expression of sorrow: tears and a tearful state. It describes the physical act of crying or the emotional condition of being moved to tears.
洏 combines the water radical 氵 with 而, which likely contributes a phonetic element. The character is associated with tears, suggesting a connection to flowing water. The exact historical development is uncertain.
Water 氵 beside 而: imagine a stream of tears flowing down a face, the water radical representing the tears themselves.
For ジ, picture a tearful person saying 'Gee, I'm so sad' as tears stream down: Gee -> ジ, and the water radical shows the tears.