A:B::C:D to represent A is to B as C is to D

I have been trying to find the name for this very common notation for analogies:

A:B::C:D to represent A is to B as C is to D

I have found it helpful to query LLMs (ChatGPT 4o in my case) with questions in the format A:B::C:??

I have tried to find the name for this notation by asking ChatGPT, using Google Search and Google Scholar, but I have not found anything authoritative.

I think the name Colon Analogy Notation is a good Schelling point. Someone familiar with the syntax would intuitively recognize the connection upon hearing the name. Likewise, if someone knows the syntax, this might be the name they would naturally search for.

I would love to know if there is a preexisting name for this notation and the history of its use. But it is hard to search for something when you don’t know its name.

So I have written the article I would like to have found for the next searcher.

This sub-blog is for posts written at a certain point in time. I don’t usually update them, but I’ll update this if I learn more.

If you know more, please email me (my email is in the footer) or reach out on Twitter.