Among the words with a technical meaning that seems to have been borrowed from a previous term of art is rasa. In short: as a literary device rasa had to do with the aesthetic structure of a particular work in inducing an emotional response. As a technical term rasa takes on the role of a "function." This is not a hard transition to understand (see Thanissaro Bhikkhu's introduction to the Dhammapada, p 12, and Bhikkhu Nanamoli's introduction to the Patisambhidamagga, pp xvi-xvii), and thinking how function dictates form, I find it interesting to note a mutli-pronged use of the structure of the second basket.
As put in the general introduction to Bhikkhu Bodhi's translation of SN (pp 31-32), "...Joy Manné has challenged the assumption that length alone explains the differences between the Nikayas. By carefully comparing the suttas of DN with those of MN, Manné concludes that the two collections are intended to serve two different purposes within the Buddha's dispensation.
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Manné also proposes that "each of the first four Nikayas came about in order to serve a distinct need and purpose..."
And from the Theravada Nyaya about the lack of a body of logical treatises in Theravadin countries (p 5), "...the entire tripitaka was arranged in such a way that it facilitated the logical understanding of truth."
Given the fact that many volumes of the Canon exhibit obvious literary embellishment (the Udana for example), it seems that it wouldn't be an unreasonable conclusion that there were larger telological issues that were considered when the Pali Canon was compiled.
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