Metalinguistic Quantification: Evidence from Japanese Wh-doublets

Contrary to the widely held presumption that quotations are quantificationally opaque, I argue that quantification into quotational contexts is in fact possible, although only in a very limited way. Specifically, I show that quantification over expressions, or metalinguistic quantification, into quotational contexts is attested in natural language. The main empirical support comes from Japanese wh-doublets, which I claim are indefinites ranging over expressions. This analysis has a consequence on the theories of quotation, as metalinguistic quantification requires quotations to be able to contain variables, which is only possible under certain theories.