*Abstract*

In this talk I will discuss approaches to segmental structure and syllabic structure that find their roots in Dependency Phonology and Government Phonology, respectively. In both domains, binarity and head-dependency relations play a pivotal role. I will first lay out a my approach to segmental structure, focussing on the primes which are unary elements instead of binary features. I will argue that we may not need more than just two elements, a claim which raises questions about the relationship between phonology and phonetics, which I will address. Each of the two elements receives phonetic interpretations that are dependent on (a) whether the element is a head, (b) where in the 'segmental geometry' is occurs and (c) in which syllabic position it occurs. Unary elements provide built-in, rather stipulative 'underspecification' and allow a truly minimal account of contrastive segments. Second, I will discuss syllabic structure, defending a view which allows a very minimal set of possible syllabic structures (singleton, branching and empty onsets and rhymes). I will propose that the building blocks of the syllabic structures are the same two elements that are used segment-internally, which allows a direct connection between segmental structure and syllabic structure. This connection is such that only certain types of segments can occur in each of the possible syllabic positions with different preference cut-off points in different languages; e.g., heads of braching onsets can only be obstruents. The limited set of syllabic structures as well as the built-in constraints on which segments can occur where generate a host of analytic problems, or to put it in plain terms: face numerous apparent counterexamples. Two responses are possible: we relativize the limitations and constraints (essentially saying that everything is possible) or we stick to the restricted systems, allowing, however, one entity which has not been popular in phonology outside Government Phonology, namely the empty rhyme. I will support the second strategy. Finally, time permitting, I will show how both empty rhymes (or empty syllabic constituents in general) as well as branching consituents are subject to a principled set of licensing constraints which limit their distribution within words.