沙 (shā) means 'sand' as a noun. It is also a common Chinese surname. In compounds, 沙 can refer to anything granulated (like 沙糖 'granulated sugar'). Importantly, 沙 also appears in adjective patterns meaning 'hoarse' or 'husky' (嗓子沙哑 'hoarse throat'), though that usage is technically adjectival — this row covers the noun senses.