The dissertation proposes an amendment to strict CV phonol- ogy (Lowenstamm 1996), a theory that views the phonological skeleton as a string of strictly alternating consonantal (C) and vocalic positions (V), beginning with a C and ending in a V. Chapter 1 argues for the usefulness and necessity of recognizing empty skeletal positions. Chapter 2 surveys current views of syllabic constituency and some problems associated with them. Two theories of (consonant) lenition (Harris 1997 and Segeral & Scheer 1999) are introduced in chapter 3, accompanied with some critical comments. The next chapter offers some extensions to the latter theory, proposing a novel definition of phonological government and for the exact content of the C and V positions of the skel- eton. The theory explicated in this chapter works best if the skeleton begins with a V and ends in a C position, fur- thermore, there evolves evidence that skeletal units are not CVs but VCs. This is explicated in chapter 5. The next chapter contemplates on the status of consonant clusters that can occur word-initially without offering a fully acceptable solution. Chapter 7 shows the theory at predict- ing both the location and the direction of consonant leni- tion (towards more sonorousness or towards lack of place and/or laryngeal properties). The final chapter is a brief summary of what this theory calls for in the field of melod- ic representation (the features/particles/elements that encode phonetic properties for the place of articulation and laryngeal characteristics). references Harris, John. 1997. Licensing inheritance: an integrated theory of neutralisation. Phonology 14: 351--370. Lowenstamm, Jean. 1996. CV as the only syllable type. In: Jacques Durand and Bernard Laks (eds.) Current Trends in Phonology: Models and Methods. European Research Institute, University of Salford Publications. 419--442. Segeral, Philippe and Tobias Scheer. 1999. The Coda Mirror. Ms., Universite Paris 7 and Universite de Nice. (www6.50megs.com/phono/#Disj)