This book represents an expanded and modified version of my Ph.D. dissertation (Charette 1988). The sections of my thesis which have been published will not be found here. The modifications involve certain refinements dealing with the level at which proper government operates. The notion of licensing is now more clearly defined, especially with respect to licensing as a condition for government. My treatment of compounds now directly follows from my analysis of word-internal empty nuclei. Some problematic data concerning the alternation of schwa with [ɛ] are now accounted for in terms of the effect of a floating consonant on a word-final empty nucleus.

This book is addressed to any linguist interested in phonological theories in general and Government Phonology, the framework in which it is written, in particular. Those who are unfamiliar with Government Phonology will find a fairly detailed presentation of certain aspects of this theory in chapter 1. The reader already familiar with this framework will be interested by new proposals and the sharpening of certain notions. This book may also be of interest for its new analyses of certain phenomena in French.

Since this book represents an expanded version of my dissertation, I wish to thank those who helped me with both the original work and the preparation of this book. In particular I am grateful to Jean Lowenstamm and Glyne Piggott for their help, support, comments and suggestions.