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58 The phonological nature of the beginning of the word2.3. #RT sequences revisitedThe previous sections have demonstrated that the Strict CV approachcan successfully cover most of the Polish phonotactic facts. Additionally,the fact that this is one of the most constrained theories ever developedmakes it even more appealing. As has already been mentionedin section 2, Polish co-occurrence restrictions on the word-initial consonantsequences are relatively free. This state of affairs follows froma single fact, namely that the initial empty CV unit is inactive in thelanguage. One of the consequences of this observation is that Polishabounds in clusters which challenge the traditional syllabification procedures.Undoubtedly #RT clusters, which we have briefly touched upon insection 2 above, belong to this group. In what follows we shall takea closer look at such sequences. Consider the combinatorial possibilitiesof the word-initial two-consonant sequences with the falling sonority profilein (16).(16)a.[rt]êæ[rd]est[rd¡z]a / [rd¡z]eñ[rv]aæ / [rv]etes[rZ]eæb.[lv]a[ln]u[lZ]yæ / [lZ]ej‘mercury’‘knotgrass’‘rust’/‘core’‘tear’/‘commotion’‘neigh’‘lion gen.sg.’‘flax gen.sg.’‘insult’/‘easier’c.[wb]a[wk]aæ[wg]aæ[wZ]e[wz]ad.[mx]u‘head, gen.sg.’‘sob’‘lie’‘he lies’‘tear’‘moss, gen.sg.’Recall that some of the sequences in (16a) have already been discussedin section 2. It has been pointed out that the #RT sequences mustbe separated by the governed empty nucleus. This explanation seemsreasonable as in some cases we observe vowel-zero alternations (17a),while in others we face the vocalisation of the prefix vowel (17b). Recallfrom the previous sections that both phenomena arise due to theapplication of PG. The examples in (17) are taken from Cyran (2003:298—299).