And the evidence for this is their use of the preposition lām: they say, mā adraba Zaydan li-'Amrin (“How much Zayd strikes 'Amr!”). Had the verb retained its original transitivity, they would have said, mā adraba Zaydan 'Amran, since it would govern one object directly and the other through the transitivizing hamza. Thus, when they made it govern one object through the transitivizing hamza, they made it govern the other through lām. This is what led them to say that the comparative and superlative form and the exclamatory verb can be formed only from an action performed by the subject, not from an action undergone by the object.

Others disputed this, saying that both forms may be derived from an action performed by the subject or from an action undergone by the object, and that the abundance of attested usage is among the clearest proofs that this is permissible. The Arabs say, mā ashghalahu bi-l-shay' (“How occupied he is with something!”). This derives from shughila (“he was occupied”), hence mashghūl (“occupied”). Likewise, they say, mā awla'ahu bi-kadhā (“How infatuated he is with such-and-such!”). This derives from ūli'a bi-l-shay' (“he was infatuated with something”), hence mūla' (“infatuated”): it is exclusively passive. Similarly, their expression mā a'jabahu bi-kadhā (“How impressed he is by such-and-such!”) derives from u'jiba bihi (“he was impressed by it”). They also say, mā ahabbahu ilayya (“How beloved he is to me!”), expressing wonder at an action undergone by the object—his being beloved to you. The same applies to mā abghadahu ilayya (“How hateful he is to me!”) and amqatahu ilayya (“How loathsome he is to me!”).

Here there is a well-known grammatical question discussed by Sībawayh (1). You say, mā abghadanī lahu (“How much I hate him!”), mā ahabbanī lahu (“How much I love him!”), and mā amqatanī lahu (“How much I loathe him!”), when you are the one who hates and dislikes, loves, or loathes (2). You are thus expressing wonder at an action performed by the subject. But you say, mā abghadanī ilayhi (“How hateful I am to him!”), mā amqatanī ilayhi (“How loathsome I am to him!”), and mā ahabbanī ilayhi (“How beloved I am to him!”), when you are the one hated, loathed, or loved. The exclamation then concerns an action undergone by the object. Thus, the construction with lām concerns the subject, whereas the construction with ilā concerns the object.