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.