Péter Dienes and Péter Szigetvári
Repartitioning the skeleton: VC phonology
(Version 1, June 1999)

This work started as  a  theory of  consonant lenition in  a
strict CV framework, which is capable of predicting not only
plausible lenition  sites but also likely  lenition targets.
The   notion of government is   redefined and the meaning of
consonantalness and vocalicness is  made explicit.  A conse-
quence of the theory  thus emerging is that the phonological
skeleton is made up not of CV  but of VC sequences, that is,
phonological domains universally begin with a vowel position
and end with a consonantal  position.  Evidence also emerges
for  assuming VC units within words,  that is, for the claim
that the phonological skeleton is made  up of inseparable VC
pairs.  Exploring  the consequences  of this hypothesis pro-
vides  evidence  that in many respects   it is superior to a
theory using a CVCV skeleton.