Origin

This character combines water (shown by the three-dot radical on the left) with the character for precious or valuable (on the right). The idea is that when something precious or solid is mixed with water, it becomes broken down and dissipates — like a valuable object crumbling or dissolving. The water component suggests the process of destruction, while the precious component represents something substantial being destroyed. Together they paint a picture of something solid and important being crushed or scattered away.