diff --git a/doc/guix.texi b/doc/guix.texi
index e7b233d..8d332f6 100644
--- a/doc/guix.texi
+++ b/doc/guix.texi
@@ -2452,12 +2452,35 @@ The @code{arguments} field specifies options for the build system
 @var{gnu-build-system} as a request run @file{configure} with the
 @code{--enable-silent-rules} flag.
 
+@cindex quote
+@cindex quoting
+@cindex backquote (quasiquote)
+What about these backquote (@code{`}) and quote (@code{'}) characters?
+They are Scheme syntax to introduce a literal data structure; @code{'}
+is synonymous with @code{quote}, and @code{`} is synonymous with
+@code{quasiquote}.  @xref{Expression Syntax, quoting,, guile, GNU Guile
+Reference Manual}, for details.  Here the value of the @code{arguments}
+field is a list of arguments passed to the build system.
+
+The hash-colon (@code{#:}) sequence defines a Scheme @dfn{keyword}
+(@pxref{Keywords,,, guile, GNU Guile Reference Manual}), and
+@code{#:configure-flags} is a keyword used to pass a keyword argument
+to the build system (@pxref{Coding With Keywords,,, guile, GNU Guile
+Reference Manual}).
+
 @item
 The @code{inputs} field specifies inputs to the build process---i.e.,
 build-time or run-time dependencies of the package.  Here, we define an
 input called @code{"gawk"} whose value is that of the @var{gawk}
 variable; @var{gawk} is itself bound to a @code{<package>} object.
 
+@cindex comma (unquote)
+Again, @code{`} (@code{quasiquote}) allows us to introduce a literal
+list in the @code{inputs} field, while @code{,} (a comma, synonymous
+with @code{unquote}) allows us to insert a value in the list
+(@pxref{Expression Syntax, unquote,, guile, GNU Guile Reference
+Manual}).
+
 Note that GCC, Coreutils, Bash, and other essential tools do not need to
 be specified as inputs here.  Instead, @var{gnu-build-system} takes care
 of ensuring that they are present (@pxref{Build Systems}).