safe

1、safe 和 save（救）是一家：拉丁 salvus「完好、没受伤」——没受损害就是"安全的"。一个 f 一个 v，读音 /seɪf/ 对 /seɪv/，听力里最容易混，靠上下文定。
2、词族：safety 安全、safely 平安地、save 救、节省、savings 存款（银行那个）、salvation 救赎。名词 safe 还有"保险箱"，指东西放得安全的那个柜子。
3、辨析：safe 说没遇到危险，secure 说环境可靠让人放心；搭配 play it safe 求稳、safe and sound 安然无恙、keep fit and safe。拼写 safe 以 -fe 收尾，名词 safety 里 e 掉了；别写成 save（作形容词时不作此拼）。

safe 安全的，保险箱，保险柜

来自古法语 sauf,安全的，受保护的，来自拉丁语 salvus,安全的，健康的，完整的，来自 PIE*sol, 完整的，整个的，词源同 solid,save,salvation.字母 l 软化为 u,最终脱落。引申词义保险箱等。

safe

safe: [13] Like save, and indeed salvage and salvation, safe comes from Latin salvus ‘uninjured’. It reached English via Old French sauf. Salvus itself went back to a prehistoric Indo-European *solwos ‘whole’, which came from the same base that produced English soldier, solemn, and solid. The noun safe ‘strongbox’ [15] was originally save, a derivative of the verb, but by the late 17th century it had, under the influence of the adjective, become safe.

The plant-name sage [14] comes via Old French sauge from Latin salvia, etymologically the ‘healing’ plant, a derivative of salvus (English acquired salvia itself in the 19th century).
=> sage, salute, salvage, salvation, salvia, save, soldier, solemn, solid

safe (n.)

"chest for keeping food or valuables," early 15c., save, from Middle French en sauf "in safety," from sauf (see safe (adj.)). Spelling with -f- first recorded 1680s, from influence of safe (adj.).

safe (adj.)

c. 1300, "unscathed, unhurt, uninjured; free from danger or molestation, in safety, secure; saved spiritually, redeemed, not damned;" from Old French sauf "protected, watched-over; assured of salvation," from Latin salvus "uninjured, in good health, safe," related to salus "good health," saluber "healthful," all from PIE *solwos from root *sol- "whole" (cognates: Latin solidus "solid," Sanskrit sarvah "uninjured, intact, whole," Avestan haurva- "uninjured, intact," Old Persian haruva-, Greek holos "whole").

As a quasi-preposition from c. 1300, on model of French and Latin cognates. From late 14c. as "rescued, delivered; protected; left alive, unkilled." Meaning "not exposed to danger" (of places) is attested from late 14c.; of actions, etc., "free from risk," first recorded 1580s. Meaning "sure, reliable, not a danger" is from c. 1600. Sense of "conservative, cautious" is from 1823. Paired alliteratively with sound (adj.) from late 14c. The noun safe-conduct (late 13c.) is from Old French sauf-conduit (13c.).

1. Just play it safe, cover your ass, keep your head down.

要谨慎行事，保护好自己并保持低调。

2. Rock'n'roll has become so commercialised and safe since punk.

摇滚乐自从朋克乐以后就已经过于商业化而缺乏新意了。

3. I wanted to get her away to somewhere safe.

我想带她逃到一个安全的地方。

4. In order to make it safe, the element is electrically insulated.

为安全起见，该元件作了电绝缘处理。

5. The nearest safe anchorage was in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

最近的安全泊地在新斯科舍省的哈利法克斯。

【safe, secure】
这组词都有“安全的”的意思，其区别是：
safe: 主要指人或物未受危险或损害。
secure: 着重指由于环境等因素而使人产生的安全感，含可以不必担心或害怕的意味。