To sign "darkness," start with both hands raised near the upper sides of your face, palms facing inward toward you with your fingers slightly spread. Bring both hands downward and across your face, letting your wrists cross in front of your chest. The motion looks like you are pulling a dark veil or curtain down over your eyes.
Sign 'I,' 'afraid,' and then 'darkness' by bringing both hands down and crossing them in front of your face. Add a fearful facial expression to match the emotion.
Sign 'room' and then 'darkness.' You can emphasize the completeness of the dark by making the downward crossing motion slightly slower and more deliberate, perhaps squinting your eyes.
Sign 'we,' 'wait,' and 'darkness.' Keep your facial expression neutral or slightly focused to convey the feeling of being unable to see while waiting.
Sign 'I,' 'afraid,' and then 'darkness' by bringing both hands down and crossing them in front of your face. Add a fearful facial expression to match the emotion.
Sign 'room' and then 'darkness.' You can emphasize the completeness of the dark by making the downward crossing motion slightly slower and more deliberate, perhaps squinting your eyes.
Sign 'we,' 'wait,' and 'darkness.' Keep your facial expression neutral or slightly focused to convey the feeling of being unable to see while waiting.
Yes, in ASL, the exact same sign is typically used for both 'dark' and 'darkness.' The specific meaning is easily understood through the context of your sentence and your facial expressions.
No, it doesn't strictly matter which hand is closer to your body when they cross. Most signers naturally cross their dominant hand slightly on the outside, but either way is perfectly acceptable and understood.
To emphasize that the darkness is intense or 'pitch black,' you can make the sign larger, slower, and use a more intense facial expression. Squinting your eyes or slightly puffing your cheeks can help show the heavy density of the dark.
