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62 The phonological nature of the beginning of the word3.2. #RTR and #TTR sequencesPolish has been recognised as one of the most permissive languages notonly due to the large number of #RT clusters, but also because it aboundswith three-consonant sequences at the left margin. Such sequencescan be divided into three major groups. The first two groups can be representedschematically as #RTR and #TTR as in [lgn]¹æ ‘cling’ and [tkn]¹æ‘touch’, respectively. The third possibility includes clusters in whicha sonorant is trapped between two obstruents #TRT or between an obstruentand another sonorant #TRR, e.g. [krt]añ ‘larynx’, [brn]¹æ ‘wade’respectively. Let us start by discussing the former two groups.If we adopt the assumptions made in previous sections, that is, thatthe Polish initial empty CV unit is inactive and that TR sequences arerequired to contract the IG relation, the analysis of the #RTR and #TTRclusters is straightforward. Consider first some examples of the wordinitialthree-consonant clusters in (19).(19)a. #RTR[mdw]y[mdl ® ]iæ[mkn]¹æ‘bland’‘nauseate’‘speed’[mg­]ienie[rZn]¹æ[lgn]¹æ‘wink’‘saw’‘cling’b. #TTR[tkn]¹æ[tkl ® ]iwy[t¡sk­]iæ[t¡skl ® ]iwy‘touch’‘affectionate’‘long’‘sentimental’[txn]¹æ[d¡ógn]¹æ[pxn]¹æ[tkf]iæ 12‘breathe’‘stub’‘push, pf.’‘stick’The main difference between (19a) and (19b) is that in the latter group theinitial position is occupied by an obstruent, while in the former by a sonorant.The representation of [mdw]y and [tkn]¹æ is given below in (20).(20)a. PG b. PG(C V) C|mV|PC|dVP→IGC|wV|é(C V)C|tV|PC|kVP→IGC|nV|oC|­V|PC|t¡‚V|P12Surface [v] and most occurrences of [f] are phonologically the glide /w/ (see K u -ry³owicz 1952 and Gussmann 1981).