Waḍʿ is the assignment or designation of one thing for another, so that knowing the first leads to knowledge of the second.
For instance, Urdu speakers conventionally associate “chāqū” with a familiar cutting implement. Someone who knows the language understands that meaning on hearing the word.
This is not the same kind of relation as smoke and fire. A conventional word-to-meaning link is learned within a language.
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Waḍʿ: assigning a sign to a meaning
Dalālah, Waḍʿ and the Six Types of Indication
Waḍʿ is the assignment or designation of one thing for another, so that knowing the first leads to knowledge of the second.
For instance, Urdu speakers conventionally associate “chāqū” with a familiar cutting implement. Someone who knows the language understands that meaning on hearing the word.
This is not the same kind of relation as smoke and fire. A conventional word-to-meaning link is learned within a language.