THE FEATURE [ASP] IN ICELANDIC PHONOLOGY*

Abstract. This paper argues that the surface distribution of aspirated stops in Icelandic is governed by licensing conditions on the feature [asp(irated)] (cf. Lombardi 1991). On this view, the dialectal difference in the treatment of aspirated stops in Icelandic reflects different licensing conditions on [asp]. Moreover, it is argued that sonorant devoicing and preaspiration are one and the same process, i. e. relinking of unlicensed [asp] to an immediately preceding segment. Hence, the absence of sonorant devoicing in the North Dialect follows from the fact that [asp] is licensed on aspirated stops preceded by sonorants.