Index: ext/fts3/fts3.c
==================================================================
--- ext/fts3/fts3.c
+++ ext/fts3/fts3.c
@@ -2345,10 +2345,71 @@
   }
 
   *pnRight = p - aOut;
 }
 
+/*
+** When this function is called, pList points to a doclist containing position
+** data, length *pnList bytes. This removes all entries from the doclist that
+** do not correspond to the first token in a column and overwrites pList
+** with the result. *pnList is set to the length of the new doclist before
+** returning.
+**
+** If bDescDoclist is true, then both the input and output are in descending
+** order. Otherwise, ascending.
+*/
+static void fts3DoclistFirstFilter(
+  int bDescDoclist,               /* True if pList is a descending doclist */
+  char *pList,                    /* Buffer containing doclist */
+  int *pnList                     /* IN/OUT: Size of doclist */
+){
+  char *p = pList;
+  char *pOut = pList;
+  char *pEnd = &pList[*pnList];
+
+  sqlite3_int64 iDoc;
+  sqlite3_int64 iPrev;
+  int bFirstOut = 0;
+
+  fts3GetDeltaVarint3(&p, pEnd, 0, &iDoc);
+  while( p ){
+    int bWritten = 0;
+    if( *p!=0x01 ){
+      if( *p==0x02 ){
+        fts3PutDeltaVarint3(&pOut, bDescDoclist, &iPrev, &bFirstOut, iDoc); 
+        *pOut++ = 0x02;
+        bWritten = 1;
+      }
+      fts3ColumnlistCopy(0, &p);
+    }
+
+    while( *p==0x01 ){
+      sqlite3_int64 iCol;
+      p++;
+      p += sqlite3Fts3GetVarint(p, &iCol);
+      if( *p==0x02 ){
+        if( bWritten==0 ){
+          fts3PutDeltaVarint3(&pOut, bDescDoclist, &iPrev, &bFirstOut, iDoc); 
+          bWritten = 1;
+        }
+        pOut += sqlite3Fts3PutVarint(pOut, iCol);
+        *pOut++ = 0x02;
+      }
+      fts3ColumnlistCopy(0, &p);
+    }
+    if( bWritten ){
+      *pOut++ = 0x00;
+    }
+
+    assert( *p==0x00 );
+    p++;
+    fts3GetDeltaVarint3(&p, pEnd, bDescDoclist, &iDoc);
+  }
+
+  *pnList = (pOut - pList);
+}
+
 
 /*
 ** Merge all doclists in the TermSelect.aaOutput[] array into a single
 ** doclist stored in TermSelect.aaOutput[0]. If successful, delete all
 ** other doclists (except the aaOutput[0] one) and return SQLITE_OK.
@@ -3515,10 +3576,14 @@
   int iToken,                     /* Token pList/nList corresponds to */
   char *pList,                    /* Pointer to doclist */
   int nList                       /* Number of bytes in pList */
 ){
   assert( iToken!=p->iDoclistToken );
+
+  if( p->aToken[iToken].bFirst ){
+    fts3DoclistFirstFilter(pTab->bDescIdx, pList, &nList);
+  }
 
   if( pList==0 ){
     sqlite3_free(p->doclist.aAll);
     p->doclist.aAll = 0;
     p->doclist.nAll = 0;
@@ -3719,10 +3784,11 @@
   if( pCsr->bDesc==pTab->bDescIdx 
    && bOptOk==1 
    && p->nToken==1 
    && pFirst->pSegcsr 
    && pFirst->pSegcsr->bLookup 
+   && pFirst->bFirst==0
   ){
     /* Use the incremental approach. */
     int iCol = (p->iColumn >= pTab->nColumn ? -1 : p->iColumn);
     rc = sqlite3Fts3MsrIncrStart(
         pTab, pFirst->pSegcsr, iCol, pFirst->z, pFirst->n);

Index: ext/fts3/fts3Int.h
==================================================================
--- ext/fts3/fts3Int.h
+++ ext/fts3/fts3Int.h
@@ -308,10 +308,11 @@
 */
 struct Fts3PhraseToken {
   char *z;                        /* Text of the token */
   int n;                          /* Number of bytes in buffer z */
   int isPrefix;                   /* True if token ends with a "*" character */
+  int bFirst;                     /* True if token must appear at position 0 */
 
   /* Variables above this point are populated when the expression is
   ** parsed (by code in fts3_expr.c). Below this point the variables are
   ** used when evaluating the expression. */
   Fts3DeferredToken *pDeferred;   /* Deferred token object for this token */

Index: ext/fts3/fts3_expr.c
==================================================================
--- ext/fts3/fts3_expr.c
+++ ext/fts3/fts3_expr.c
@@ -178,13 +178,25 @@
 
         if( iEnd<n && z[iEnd]=='*' ){
           pRet->pPhrase->aToken[0].isPrefix = 1;
           iEnd++;
         }
-        if( !sqlite3_fts3_enable_parentheses && iStart>0 && z[iStart-1]=='-' ){
-          pParse->isNot = 1;
+
+        while( 1 ){
+          if( !sqlite3_fts3_enable_parentheses 
+           && iStart>0 && z[iStart-1]=='-' 
+          ){
+            pParse->isNot = 1;
+            iStart--;
+          }else if( iStart>0 && z[iStart-1]=='^' ){
+            pRet->pPhrase->aToken[0].bFirst = 1;
+            iStart--;
+          }else{
+            break;
+          }
         }
+
       }
       nConsumed = iEnd;
     }
 
     pModule->xClose(pCursor);
@@ -279,10 +291,11 @@
         memcpy(&zTemp[nTemp], zByte, nByte);
         nTemp += nByte;
 
         pToken->n = nByte;
         pToken->isPrefix = (iEnd<nInput && zInput[iEnd]=='*');
+        pToken->bFirst = (iBegin>0 && zInput[iBegin-1]=='^');
         nToken = ii+1;
       }
     }
 
     pModule->xClose(pCursor);

Index: ext/fts3/fts3_write.c
==================================================================
--- ext/fts3/fts3_write.c
+++ ext/fts3/fts3_write.c
@@ -3115,10 +3115,11 @@
         pTC->pTokenizer = pT;
         rc = pModule->xNext(pTC, &zToken, &nToken, &iDum1, &iDum2, &iPos);
         for(pDef=pCsr->pDeferred; pDef && rc==SQLITE_OK; pDef=pDef->pNext){
           Fts3PhraseToken *pPT = pDef->pToken;
           if( (pDef->iCol>=p->nColumn || pDef->iCol==i)
+           && (pPT->bFirst==0 || iPos==0)
            && (pPT->n==nToken || (pPT->isPrefix && pPT->n<nToken))
            && (0==memcmp(zToken, pPT->z, pPT->n))
           ){
             fts3PendingListAppend(&pDef->pList, iDocid, i, iPos, &rc);
           }

Index: test/fts3defer.test
==================================================================
--- test/fts3defer.test
+++ test/fts3defer.test
@@ -424,10 +424,17 @@
   if {$fts3_simple_deferred_tokens_only==0} {
     do_select_test 6.2.3 {
       SELECT rowid FROM t1 WHERE t1 MATCH '"jk xduvfhk" OR "zm azavwm"'
     } {8 15 26 92 96}
   }
+
+  do_select_test 7.1 {
+    SELECT rowid FROM t1 WHERE t1 MATCH '^zm mjpavjuhw'
+  } {56 62}
+  do_select_test 7.2 {
+    SELECT rowid FROM t1 WHERE t1 MATCH '^azavwm zm'
+  } {43}
 }
 
 set testprefix fts3defer
 
 do_execsql_test 3.1 {

ADDED   test/fts3first.test
Index: test/fts3first.test
==================================================================
--- /dev/null
+++ test/fts3first.test
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+# 2011 October 18
+#
+# The author disclaims copyright to this source code.  In place of
+# a legal notice, here is a blessing:
+#
+#    May you do good and not evil.
+#    May you find forgiveness for yourself and forgive others.
+#    May you share freely, never taking more than you give.
+#
+#***********************************************************************
+
+set testdir [file dirname $argv0]
+source $testdir/tester.tcl
+source $testdir/malloc_common.tcl
+
+ifcapable !fts3 {
+  finish_test
+  return
+}
+
+do_execsql_test 1.0 {
+  CREATE VIRTUAL TABLE x1 USING FTS4(a, b, c);
+  INSERT INTO x1(docid,a,b,c) VALUES(0, 'K H D S T', 'V M N Y K', 'S Z N Q S');
+  INSERT INTO x1(docid,a,b,c) VALUES(1, 'K N J L W', 'S Z W J Q', 'D U W S E');
+  INSERT INTO x1(docid,a,b,c) VALUES(2, 'B P M O I', 'R P H W S', 'R J L L E');
+  INSERT INTO x1(docid,a,b,c) VALUES(3, 'U R Q M L', 'M J K A V', 'Q W J T J');
+  INSERT INTO x1(docid,a,b,c) VALUES(4, 'N J C Y N', 'R U D X V', 'B O U A Q');
+  INSERT INTO x1(docid,a,b,c) VALUES(5, 'Q L X L U', 'I F N X S', 'U Q A N Y');
+  INSERT INTO x1(docid,a,b,c) VALUES(6, 'M R G U T', 'U V I Q P', 'X Y D L S');
+  INSERT INTO x1(docid,a,b,c) VALUES(7, 'D Y P O I', 'X J P K R', 'V O T H V');
+  INSERT INTO x1(docid,a,b,c) VALUES(8, 'R Y D L R', 'U U E S J', 'N W L M R');
+  INSERT INTO x1(docid,a,b,c) VALUES(9, 'Z P F N P', 'W A X D U', 'V A E Q A');
+  INSERT INTO x1(docid,a,b,c) VALUES(10, 'Q I A Q M', 'N D K H C', 'A H T Q Z');
+  INSERT INTO x1(docid,a,b,c) VALUES(11, 'T E R Q B', 'C I B C B', 'F Z U W R');
+  INSERT INTO x1(docid,a,b,c) VALUES(12, 'E S V U W', 'T P F W H', 'A M D J Q');
+  INSERT INTO x1(docid,a,b,c) VALUES(13, 'X S B T Y', 'U D N D P', 'X Z Y G F');
+  INSERT INTO x1(docid,a,b,c) VALUES(14, 'K H A B L', 'S R C C Z', 'D W E H J');
+  INSERT INTO x1(docid,a,b,c) VALUES(15, 'C E U C C', 'W F M N M', 'T Z U X T');
+  INSERT INTO x1(docid,a,b,c) VALUES(16, 'Q G C G H', 'H N N B H', 'B Q I H Y');
+  INSERT INTO x1(docid,a,b,c) VALUES(17, 'Q T S K B', 'W B D Y N', 'V J P E C');
+  INSERT INTO x1(docid,a,b,c) VALUES(18, 'A J M O Q', 'L G Y Y A', 'G N M R N');
+  INSERT INTO x1(docid,a,b,c) VALUES(19, 'T R Y P Y', 'N V Y B X', 'L Z T N T');
+
+  CREATE VIRTUAL TABLE x2 USING FTS4(a, b, c, order=DESC);
+  INSERT INTO x2(docid, a, b, c) SELECT docid, a, b, c FROM x1;
+}
+
+foreach x {1 2} {
+  foreach {tn match res} {
+    1  "^K"              {0 1 14}
+    2  "^S"              {0 1 14}
+    3  "^W"              {9 15 17}
+    4  "^J"              {}
+    5  "^E"              {12}
+    6  "V ^-E"           {0 3 4 6 7 9 17 19}
+    7  "V -^E"           {0 3 4 6 7 9 17 19}
+    8  "^-E V"           {0 3 4 6 7 9 17 19}
+    9  "-^E V"           {0 3 4 6 7 9 17 19}
+    10 "V"               {0 3 4 6 7 9 12 17 19}
+
+    11 {"^K H"}          {0 14}
+    12 {"K H"}           {0 10 14}
+    13 {"K ^H"}          {}
+  } {
+    set rev [list]
+    for {set ii [expr [llength $res]-1]} {$ii>=0} {incr ii -1} {
+      lappend rev [lindex $res $ii]
+    }
+    do_execsql_test 1.$x.$tn.1 {SELECT docid FROM x1 WHERE x1 MATCH $match} $res
+    do_execsql_test 1.$x.$tn.2 {SELECT docid FROM x2 WHERE x2 MATCH $match} $rev
+  }
+
+  do_execsql_test 1.$x.[expr $tn+1] { 
+    INSERT INTO x1(x1) VALUES('optimize');
+    INSERT INTO x2(x2) VALUES('optimize');
+  } {}
+}
+
+finish_test

Index: test/permutations.test
==================================================================
--- test/permutations.test
+++ test/permutations.test
@@ -183,10 +183,11 @@
   fts3fault.test fts3malloc.test fts3matchinfo.test
   fts3aux1.test fts3comp1.test fts3auto.test
   fts4aa.test fts4content.test
   fts3conf.test fts3prefix.test fts3fault2.test fts3corrupt.test
   fts3corrupt2.test
+  fts3first.test
 }
 
 
 lappend ::testsuitelist xxx
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------