Save the moonlight flooding

[Maybo]

A child giggled from the other side. He pushed open the front door and nearly fell into the house. Save the moonlight flooding through the kitchen windows to his left, darkness enveloped him.

Source: The Exorcist's House by Nick Roberts

What does "save moonlight" mean? The story is about an exorcist who is trying to deal with the spirits in his own house.

 

[Tarheel]

That was the only light there was. Other than that light there wasn't any. There wasn't any other light. If it wouldn't have been for that there wouldn't have been any light. There was no other light.

 

[Tarheel]

What does "save moonlight" mean?

It doesn't mean anything at all. You have to look at the entire sentence to make sense out of the phrase "save the moonlight". (I wouldn't expect to see "save for the moonlight".)

If it wouldn't have been for the moonlight there wouldn't have been any light at all. That's all the light there was.

 

[Maybo]

I don't get it.

 

[5jj]

You can use save to introduce the only things, people, or ideas that your main statement does not apply to.

[formal]
There is almost no water at all in the area save that brought up from bore holes.

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/save

 

[Maybo]

Does it mean “except”?

 

[5jj]

Yes.

 

[Tarheel]

I don't get it.

All that typing for nothing?

 

[Tarheel]

Does it mean “except”?

Yes, didn't I say that? Except for the moonlight there wasn't any light at all.

 

[Maybo]

Yes, didn't I say that? Except for the moonlight there wasn't any light at all.

You didn’t say “except”. I’d been thinking that “save” was a verb so I didn’t understand you explanation.

 

[Tarheel]

You didn’t say “except”. I’d been thinking that “save” was a verb so I didn’t understand youR explanation.

It is a verb, but not there. (It's also a noun.)

As you get more practice you'll be able to learn more from context.

 

[5jj]

In our sentence, save is a preposition.