Menaechmus quidam. Indefinites and proper nouns in Classical and Late Latin

This paper offers an analysis of the relation between a proper noun and the use of an indefinite connected to it. Our suggestion is that the use of the indefinite is different depending on the particular use in which the proper noun occurs. To this aim, different uses of proper nouns can be described, which are classifiable according to two main groups, the referential and the metaphorical use. We show that quidam is prevailingly found with proper nouns in the referential use, while aliquis is found prevailingly with proper nouns in the metaphorical use.