"loud" American Sign Language (ASL)

American Sign Language: loud

To do sign for "loud" points to (or touch) your ear and then shake your fists back and forth.

"Last night the thunder and lightening was very loud and noisy!"
Note: If you ask ten different people to sign this sentence for you you will invariably get ten different answers. How do I know? I've asked many dozens of people to sign it. For what it is worth, here is my variation:

Notes: I sign "PAST / before" to mean "last" in this sentence.
For THUNDER, I point to the ear then I use a firm converse double movement with both hands using "handshape: 5."
For LIGHTENING, I make a downward zigzagging movement with index fingers.
For "very" I did the sign "OOH" which uses an intense facial expression and the dominant hand in a claw shape making shaking movement in front of the lower face.
For LOUD, I point to the ear then I use a firm converse double movement with two hands using "handshape: S" on each hand.
For NOISY, I point to the ear then I use a simultaneous twisting movement of both hands using "handshape: 5."

If you wanted, you could have a lot of fun and/or get into a lot of heated arguments over the "right way" to do the sentence: "Last night the thunder and lightening was very loud and noisy!" Realistically though, there is no one right way -- just a lot of varying ways. What I've shown you above are some "good ways" that should fill your need until you find a "better way."
Good luck :)

Also see: NOISE

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