jrny, would you have anything to add to this discussion?
Salve is the imperative of the verb "salvere", but "salvere" does NOT mean "to save". The verb "to save" is "salvare" (first conjugation, completely different verb because of one letter difference in the spelling), and its imperative is "Salva"
Salvare = to save
Salvere = to greet,hail, to be in good health, etc.