Is the word 'Itlaq' (releasing/decreeing) an explicit term for divorce?
Chapter on Explicit Divorce and Others
Al-Mughni
Book of Divorce
Primary text
The term 'Itlaq' is not explicit for divorce because it lacks established usage or convention within religious law, thus resembling other ambiguous terms. This is the Madhhab of Al-Shafi'i. The argument against this is that the causative form ('Af'ala') should carry the same meaning as the simple form ('Fa'ala'), but this distinction is not consistent in legal language usage across various concepts.
Supporting text
The difference between the term for releasing the bond of marriage and other forms of releasing (like releasing a captive or an animal) is often marked by intensification (tathlith/doubling of the root) or the use of the hamza. If the meaning were identical, one could say a captive or animal is 'Taliq' or 'Mutallaq,' but this usage is not heard.