Cannot find name 'apply'.ts(2304) on function

Question

I cannot persuade TS to use apply method on function :/

Using merge from lodash

merge<PropertyValidationList, PropertyValidationList>.apply(merge, lists);

type definition of merge

merge<TObject, TSource>(object: TObject, source: TSource): TObject & TSource;
merge<TObject, TSource1, TSource2>(object: TObject, source1: TSource1, source2: TSource2): TObject & TSource1 & TSource2;

etc..

getting error:

Cannot find name 'apply'.ts(2304)

I've tryied:

(merge<PropertyValidationList, PropertyValidationList>).apply(merge, lists);
(merge as typeof merge<PropertyValidationList, PropertyValidationList>).apply(merge, lists);
merge.apply<PropertyValidationList, PropertyValidationList>(merge, lists);
etc..

googled stuff.. nothing helped

Bypassed for now with ugly fix

const propertyList: PropertyValidationList = (merge as any).apply(merge, lists);

Minimal reproducible example

interface LoDashStatic {
    /**
     * Recursively merges own and inherited enumerable properties of source
     * objects into the destination object, skipping source properties that resolve
     * to `undefined`. Array and plain object properties are merged recursively.
     * Other objects and value types are overridden by assignment. Source objects
     * are applied from left to right. Subsequent sources overwrite property
     * assignments of previous sources.
     *
     * **Note:** This method mutates `object`.
     *
     * @category Object
     * @param object The destination object.
     * @param [sources] The source objects.
     * @returns Returns `object`.
     * @example
     *
     * var users = {
     *   'data': [{ 'user': 'barney' }, { 'user': 'fred' }]
     * };
     *
     * var ages = {
     *   'data': [{ 'age': 36 }, { 'age': 40 }]
     * };
     *
     * _.merge(users, ages);
     * // => { 'data': [{ 'user': 'barney', 'age': 36 }, { 'user': 'fred', 'age': 40 }] }
     */
    merge<TObject, TSource>(object: TObject, source: TSource): TObject & TSource;
    /**
     * @see _.merge
     */
    merge<TObject, TSource1, TSource2>(object: TObject, source1: TSource1, source2: TSource2): TObject & TSource1 & TSource2;
    /**
     * @see _.merge
     */
    merge<TObject, TSource1, TSource2, TSource3>(object: TObject, source1: TSource1, source2: TSource2, source3: TSource3): TObject & TSource1 & TSource2 & TSource3;
    /**
     * @see _.merge
     */
    merge<TObject, TSource1, TSource2, TSource3, TSource4>(object: TObject, source1: TSource1, source2: TSource2, source3: TSource3, source4: TSource4): TObject & TSource1 & TSource2 & TSource3 & TSource4;
    /**
     * @see _.merge
     */
    merge(object: any, ...otherArgs: any[]): any;
};

const merge: LoDashStatic['merge'] = (...args: Object[]) => {
    // faking implementation
    const result = {};
    args.forEach(obj => Object.assign(result, obj));
    return result;
}


export type ValidatorSync = (val: any) => true | string;
export type ValidationAsync = Promise<true | string>;
export type ValidatorAsync = (val: any) => ValidationAsync;
export type Validator = ValidatorSync | ValidatorAsync;
export type ValidationResponse = { valid: boolean };
export type PropertyValidation = { rules: Validator[], restriction: string };
export type PropertyValidationList = Record<string, Partial<PropertyValidation>>;
export type PropertyValidationLists = PropertyValidationList | PropertyValidationList[];

export function propertyHash(property: string, ...additinalParams: string[]): string {
  return [property, ...additinalParams].reverse().join('_');
}

export function propertyValidation(lists: PropertyValidationLists, ...args: Parameters<typeof propertyHash>): PropertyValidation {
  lists = (lists instanceof Array) ? lists : [lists];
  
  // const propertyList = merge<PropertyValidationList, ...PropertyValidationList>.apply(merge, lists);
  const propertyList = merge(...lists);
  return {
    rules: [],
    restriction: '',
    ...propertyList[propertyHash(...args)]
  };
}