• НИ СЛОВА <НИ ПОЛСЛОВА coll>
[NPgen; these forms only]
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1. ни полслова не говорить кому, не понимать и т.п. [obj]
⇒ (to say, understand etc) absolutely nothing:
- not a (single) word;
- not so much as a word;
- not a thing;
- not (understand) a bit (of what s.o. says etc).
♦ ...Тут же ни слова не сказано о том, что это - о нас, сказал Мазила (Зиновьев 1). "There isn't a word here that says it's all about us," observed Dauber (1a).
♦ Они впервые стояли рядом - зять и свояк. За столом они не сказали друг дружке ни слова (Абрамов 1). For the first time they stood side by side-brothers-in-law. At the table they had not spoken a single word to each other (1b).♦ "... Ни я, ни Дуня ни полслова ешё не говорили с ним [Петром Петровичем] о крепкой надежде нашей, что он поможет нам способствовать тебе деньгами, пока ты в университете..." (Достоевский 3)... .Neither Dunya nor I have as yet said so much as a word to him [Pyotr Petrovich] on the subject of our fervent hope that he'll help us to supply you with money while you're still in university..." (3d).
2. ни полслова (кому о чём) [predic (subj: human); usu. used as imper, occas. used in past or fut contexts]
⇒ do not say anything about sth. (to s.o. or to anyone), one did not or will not say anything about sth. (to s.o. or to anyone):
- Imper Y-y <никому> о Z-e ни слова••≈ don't breathe (say, utter) a word about Z to Y <to anyone>;
|| X ни слова••≈ [in past contexts] X didn't say <utter> a word;
- X said nothing.
♦ "...И ни полслова никому о том, что ты меня видел в Москве" (Герцен 1)."...And don't breathe a word to anyone about having seen me in Moscow" (1a).
♦ "...Так что прошу вас - никому ни слова и полнейший секрет!.." (Булгаков 9). "...I must ask you not to say a word about it to anyone...it must be a total secret..." (9a).
3. ни полслова от кого [subj/ gen]
⇒ there have been no letters or any other type of communication from s.o.:
- от X-a - ни слова••≈ there has been no word from X;
- I haven't <he hasn't etc> heard a word <a thing> from X.
♦ От Нины уже два месяца ни слова, я очень беспокоюсь. I haven't heard a word from Nina for two months already and I'm awfully concerned.