diff --git a/anselme/ast/Environment.lua b/anselme/ast/Environment.lua
index d039905..2986299 100644
--- a/anselme/ast/Environment.lua
+++ b/anselme/ast/Environment.lua
@@ -127,26 +127,6 @@ local Environment = ast.abstract.Runtime {
 			self:define(state, symbol, exp)
 		end
 	end,
-	-- define new aliased variable in the environment
-	-- exp will be used as the function content
-	define_alias = function(self, state, symbol, exp)
-		assert(symbol.alias, "symbol is not an alias")
-
-		local get = Function:new(ParameterTuple:new(), exp):eval(state)
-
-		if symbol.constant then
-			self:define(state, symbol, get)
-		else
-			assert(Call:is(exp), "non-constant alias expression must be a call")
-
-			local set_param = ParameterTuple:new()
-			set_param:insert_assignment(FunctionParameter:new(Identifier:new("value")))
-			local assign_expr = Call:new(exp.func, exp.arguments:with_assignment(Identifier:new("value")))
-			local set = Function:new(set_param, assign_expr):eval(state)
-
-			self:define(state, symbol, Overload:new(get, set))
-		end
-	end,
 
 	-- returns bool if variable defined in current or parent environment
 	defined = function(self, state, identifier)
diff --git a/anselme/common/init.lua b/anselme/common/init.lua
index 97eb575..14aacf8 100644
--- a/anselme/common/init.lua
+++ b/anselme/common/init.lua
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ local common = {
 	-- list of operators and their priority that are handled through regular function calls & can be overloaded/etc. by the user
 	regular_operators = {
 		prefixes = {
+			{ ">", 3.1 }, -- just above _=_
 			{ "~", 3.5 }, -- just below _~_ so else-if (~ condition ~ expression) parses as (~ (condition ~ expression))
 			{ "!", 11 },
 			{ "-", 11 },
diff --git a/anselme/parser/expression/primary/init.lua b/anselme/parser/expression/primary/init.lua
index fcc53d0..82ce6d8 100644
--- a/anselme/parser/expression/primary/init.lua
+++ b/anselme/parser/expression/primary/init.lua
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ local primaries = {
 	r("prefix.semicolon"),
 	r("prefix.function"),
 	r("prefix.return"),
+	-- 3.1
+	r("prefix.wrap"),
 	-- 3.5
 	r("prefix.else"),
 	-- 11
diff --git a/anselme/parser/expression/primary/prefix/wrap.lua b/anselme/parser/expression/primary/prefix/wrap.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..86249dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/anselme/parser/expression/primary/prefix/wrap.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+local prefix_quote_right = require("anselme.parser.expression.primary.prefix.prefix_quote_right")
+
+local operator_priority = require("anselme.common").operator_priority
+
+return prefix_quote_right {
+	operator = ">",
+	identifier = ">_",
+	priority = operator_priority[">_"]
+}
diff --git a/anselme/state/ScopeStack.lua b/anselme/state/ScopeStack.lua
index d209f1f..ec16ce3 100644
--- a/anselme/state/ScopeStack.lua
+++ b/anselme/state/ScopeStack.lua
@@ -75,7 +75,6 @@ local ScopeStack = class {
 	-- methods that call the associated method from the current scope, see ast.Environment for details
 	define = function(self, symbol, exp) self.current:define(self.state, symbol, exp) end,
 	define_overloadable = function(self, symbol, exp) return self.current:define_overloadable(self.state, symbol, exp) end,
-	define_alias = function(self, symbol, exp) return self.current:define_alias(self.state, symbol, exp) end,
 	defined = function(self, identifier) return self.current:defined(self.state, identifier) end,
 	defined_in_current = function(self, symbol) return self.current:defined_in_current(self.state, symbol) end,
 	set = function(self, identifier, exp) self.current:set(self.state, identifier, exp) end,
diff --git a/anselme/stdlib/closure.lua b/anselme/stdlib/closure.lua
index 4fe27ff..7f502fa 100644
--- a/anselme/stdlib/closure.lua
+++ b/anselme/stdlib/closure.lua
@@ -40,5 +40,23 @@ return {
 			state.scope:pop()
 			return r
 		end
+	},
+	{
+		">_", "(q::is(\"quote\"))",
+		function(state, q)
+			local exp = q.expression
+			local get = Function:new(ParameterTuple:new(), exp):eval(state)
+
+			if Call:is(exp) then
+				local set_param = ParameterTuple:new()
+				set_param:insert_assignment(FunctionParameter:new(Identifier:new("value")))
+				local assign_expr = Call:new(exp.func, exp.arguments:with_assignment(Identifier:new("value")))
+				local set = Function:new(set_param, assign_expr):eval(state)
+
+				return Overload:new(get, set)
+			end
+
+			return get
+		end
 	}
 }
diff --git a/test/tests/persist.ans b/test/tests/persist.ans
index 41ce8c5..6d1f4fa 100644
--- a/test/tests/persist.ans
+++ b/test/tests/persist.ans
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 | pouet={persist("pouet", 7)} (7)
 
-:&d = persist("pouet", 12)
+:&d => persist("pouet", 12)
 
 | d={d} (7)
 
diff --git a/test/tests/symbol alias constant.ans b/test/tests/symbol alias constant.ans
index b07e6be..e28d8e5 100644
--- a/test/tests/symbol alias constant.ans	
+++ b/test/tests/symbol alias constant.ans	
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 :l = *[1,2,3]
 
-::&c = l(2)
+::&c => l(2)
 
 | c={c} (2)
 | l={l} (*[1,2,3])
diff --git a/test/tests/symbol alias exported.ans b/test/tests/symbol alias exported.ans
index 51425f6..32bbb99 100644
--- a/test/tests/symbol alias exported.ans	
+++ b/test/tests/symbol alias exported.ans	
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 :@l = *[1,2,3]
 
-:&@c = l(2)
+:&@c => l(2)
 
 | c={c} (2)
 | l={l} (*[1,2,3])
diff --git a/test/tests/symbol alias.ans b/test/tests/symbol alias.ans
index e714de5..641b28a 100644
--- a/test/tests/symbol alias.ans	
+++ b/test/tests/symbol alias.ans	
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 :l = *[1,2,3]
 
-:&c = l(2)
+:&c => l(2)
 
 | c={c} (2)
 | l={l} (*[1,2,3])