What is CVCV, and why should it be?

This book develops Jean Lowenstamm's concept that phonological constituent structure can be simplified to a sequence of non-branching Onsets and Nuclei, known as 'CVCV', which originated from Government Phonology. Since the early 80s, the theory has asserted that syllable-based generalizations arise from lateral relations among constituents, rather than traditional arboreal structures. The author argues that Standard Government Phonology did not fully realize this idea, and CVCV addresses this gap by fully lateralizing structure and causality. The book discusses how fundamental phonological elements and processes—such as Codas, closed syllables, long vowels, geminates, syllabic consonants, vowel-zero alternations, and others—can be represented within the CVCV framework. The first part introduces the properties of CVCV, while the second part explores its value as a viable approach. The primary aim is not to engage in debates with other phonological theories but to define the properties of CVCV as a foundational theory. In a phonological landscape dominated by OT, CVCV stands out as a representational theory, asserting that representations are primitive rather than incidental outcomes of constraints. The analyses are based on languages familiar to the author, including (Western) Slavic, French, German, and some Semitic, with a focus on diachronic evidence in relation to synchronic language states.