What is rebracketing in linguistics? (8)(German)

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 German:

Der Apfel:

Original form: “der Apfel” (meaning “the apple”)

Rebracketed form: Can lead to dialectal variations like “dar Apfel” where the article becomes part of the noun in casual speech.

Nashorn:

Original form: “Nase-Horn” (meaning “nose horn”)

Rebracketed form: Became “Nashorn,” where the word was reinterpreted as a single entity.

Rebracketing is a widespread linguistic phenomenon that can significantly influence the evolution of languages across different cultures.