What is rebracketing in linguistics? (4)(Spanish)
Here are some examples that show how rebracketing can influence not just the forms of words but their meanings and even how new words are created in a language.
In Spanish:
El lagarto:
Original form: “el lagarto” (meaning “the lizard”)
Rebracketed form: This led to the English word “alligator,” where the “el” became part of the word through rebracketing in English.
El anis:
Original form: “el anis” (meaning “the anise”)
Rebracketed form: “lanis” in informal speech.