Overview of the Six Source Functions

Six Semantic Functions of Form VIII (Iftiʿāl): Adoption, Exertion, Selection, Response, Equivalence, and Independent Usage

The printed text gives this six-part classification. Some categories contain more than one illustration.

No.FunctionCore distinction
1Adoption (ittikhādh)Making or taking something as such
2Exertion (taṣarruf)Seeking/working toward a result
3Personal choice (takhayyur)Choosing or taking for oneself
4Response (muṭāwaʿat faʿala)Undergoing the result of an act
5Equivalence (muwāfaqat)Sharing a sense with another form
6Independent usage (ibtidāʾ)A distinct lexical meaning

The actual usage, not the morphological pattern alone, selects the sense.