ABSTRACT The Germanic dental suffix has three surface variants in Modem Icelandic. The distribution of the variants and their interaction with the consonants of the verbal base are analysed against the background of the phonology of the language. The theoretical model is that of Government Phonology. Particular attention is paid to the structure of the rhyme, and coda-onset contacts. It is argued that with the exception of lexically marked items the selection of the dental suffix variant is determined by the presence of occlusion and tone in the final consonants of the base. Most of the segmental changes found in the base are motivated by the need to comply with conditions on coda-onset contacts which prevail in the language at large.
