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Niente tocca questo prezioso manoscritto, neanche la polvere.

Niente tocca questo prezioso manoscritto, neanche la polvere.
Nothing touches this precious manuscript, not even the dust.
From Lesson 162:Position of negative indefinites (nessuno, niente)·Italian

Questions & Answers about Niente tocca questo prezioso manoscritto, neanche la polvere.

Why is there no non in this sentence when niente is a negative word?
Because niente (nothing) comes before the verb tocca, it acts as the subject and we don't use non. You only use a double negative in Italian if the negative word comes after the verb. For example, if you flipped the sentence, it would be Non tocca niente (It doesn't touch anything).
Why is the adjective prezioso placed before the noun manoscritto?
Normally, descriptive adjectives go after the noun in Italian. However, placing an adjective before the noun emphasizes it or shows that it's an inherent quality. Here, putting prezioso before manoscritto makes it sound more dramatic and highlights its great value.
What does neanche mean, and can I use other words instead?
Neanche means not even (or neither). You will often see it used to emphasize a negative statement. You could also use nemmeno or neppure here; all three words mean exactly the same thing and are interchangeable.
Why does Italian use the article la before polvere, even though we just say dust in English?
In Italian, when you talk about a noun in a broad, general sense (like dust, love, or water), you almost always need to include the definite article (il, la, lo, etc.). So, general dust naturally becomes la polvere.

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