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98 The phonological nature of the beginning of the wordbasis of the prefixation and vowel-zero alternation both in Polish andCzech we have seen that the postulation of two representations for phoneticallythe same cluster is fully justified. Moreover, the solutions appliedin this chapter make it possible to give a uniform explanation tothe vocalisation of the prefix vowel in the group of Derived Imperfectives.Finally, it has been demonstrated that /m/ plays a special role inthe Polish phonological system in that it behaves like a regular obstruentbeing a governee in consonant relations.In section 3 we have analysed three-consonant clusters occurring atthe left margin in Polish. It has been demonstrated that Polish allowsfor complex word-initial consonant clusters not because it is ‘privileged’,but because the initial empty CV unit in this language is inactive. Inother words, three-consonant clusters are possible in Polish due to thefact that in this language the initial CV unit is inactive, hence does notneed to be governed. In this situation the two mechanisms available inthe Strict CV model have a chance to occur giving rise to such complexconsonant sequences. The second part of section 3 dealt with Polish trappedconsonants occurring word-initially but also word-finally. We have providedsome evidence demonstrating that syllabic and trapped consonants,although related, call for two separate representations. Thus, on the basisof disparate behaviour concerning metrical structure, stress placementand prefixation in various Slavic languages syllabic and trappedconsonants have been assigned two separate representations. Syllabicconsonants are left-branching structures, while their cognates, thatis, trapped consonants, spread to the right. Finally, it has been proposedthat the nuclear position which hosts the right branch of the trappedconsonant is able to both govern and license.The inactive character of the initial empty CV unit in Polish is independentlyconfirmed by the development of soft labials in the Kurp dialectof Polish. It has been proposed that the realisation of soft labials inthis dialect should be treated as a regular fortition case. Thus, the Kurpdata have been analysed from the perspective of the Coda Mirror. Thistheory of lenition helped us explain why /j/ is strengthened in the postconsonantalposition only and never word-initially, intervocalically orpreconsonantally. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that soft labialsare sequences of two consonants and their behaviour can be explainedaccording to the position they occupy in the syllable structure. Finally,the conclusions reached in section 4 may contribute to the discussionconcerning the phonological status of soft labials. The conclusions at whichwe arrived in the analysis of soft labials are further confirmed by theevolution of labial + yod sequences in Gallo-Romance. It has been shownthat the development of Latin /j/ is nearly identical to the development of