Learn Hardcore Russian: Свидетельница молчала не потому, что боялась, а потому, что хотела сначала подумать. - The female witness was silent not because she was afraid, but because she wanted to think first.

Свидетельница молчала не потому, что боялась, а потому, что хотела сначала подумать.

The female witness was silent not because she was afraid, but because she wanted to think first.

Breakdown of Свидетельница молчала не потому, что боялась, а потому, что хотела сначала подумать.

Questions & Answers about Свидетельница молчала не потому, что боялась, а потому, что хотела сначала подумать.

Why is свидетельница used here instead of свидетель?

Свидетельница means female witness.
Russian often marks biological sex in nouns referring to people, so:

свидетель = witness (usually male, or sometimes generic in some contexts)
свидетельница = female witness

In this sentence, the speaker is clearly referring to a woman.

Why does the verb say молчала?

Because the subject свидетельница is feminine singular, and Russian past tense verbs agree with gender and number.

Compare:

он молчал = he was silent / he kept quiet
она молчала = she was silent / she kept quiet
они молчали = they were silent / kept quiet

So свидетельница молчала means the female witness was silent / kept silent.

What exactly does молчала mean here?

Молчать means to be silent, to keep quiet, or not to speak.

So свидетельница молчала does not just describe a character trait like she was a quiet person. It means that in that situation, she did not say anything.