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On the development of soft labials...91(45) Strong positionsa. PG b. PGC V 0|PC 1|CV 1|VV 1|VC 1|CV 2|PC 2|CV 3|V(45a) displays the word-initial position where CV 0stands for the boundarymarker ‘#’. In (45b) we have the postconsonantal position. What iscrucial, however, is the fact that both positions occur in the identicalcontext, namely, after a governed nucleus.(46) Weak positionsa. PG b. PGV 1|VC 2|CV 2|P#V 1|VBoth representations in (46) depict the weak context. In (46a) the consonantoccurs in a word-final position, while the one in (46b) before a heterosyllabicconsonant. Similarly to (45) the disjunctive context is unifiedas both consonants appear in the same context, i.e. before a governednucleus.The last context, namely V_V, is structurally different from the previoustwo as a consonant appears between two nuclei which are phoneticallyrealised. Now, the reason why a position occurring after a governedempty nucleus is strong and why the one before an empty nucleus isweak follows from two forces, i.e. Government and Licensing, which areindependently motivated in the Strict CV theory. In short, Governmentand Licensing are the two forces driving lenition and fortition. The formeris a destructive power reducing a position’s ability to maintain melodiccontent (recall Proper Government and vowel-zero alternations inthe previous sections). The latter, on the other hand, backs up segmentalexpression: licensed positions are better at holding their melodic content(recall Infrasegmental Government and the requirement that the headmust be licensed in order to govern the preceding governee). Both forcesapply from right to left, i.e., the governor and the licensor are uniformlyto the right of the governee and the licensee. What is important, however,is that a nucleus is allowed to simultaneously govern and license.C 1|CV 2|PC 2|CV 3|V