Trigonometry is to triangles as ____ is to circles

Question

Trigonometry is to triangles as ____ is to circles

What is this kind of sentence called? Does it have a name?

Also, what is the blank space in this context called?

Please try to include an example sentence (preferably along with broader context). Let us know where you looked for answers and what you found. — Kris, Feb 23 '15 at 14:55
@Kris the OP had included an example sentence but it was changed by Matt. Please see edit history. It also seems pretty pointless and late in the day to ask the OP to provide proof of research when two users have given the same "correct" answer. — Mari-Lou A, Feb 23 '15 at 21:22
To go all meta on you, the general pattern of "sentence fragment with blanks" is called a "snowclone". See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowclone and http://snowclones.org/ for examples. — Eric Lippert, Feb 23 '15 at 21:56
@Mari-LouA The original form of the question shows more clearly how the the same "correct" answer is not correct after all (your incidental scare quotes are more appropriate!). It is almost obvious why neither of the "correct" answerers has provided anything in support of their answers. See also: Janus' comment at X-Man. — Kris, Feb 24 '15 at 06:11
And for those still dying to know what it is that is to circles as trigonometry is to triangles, the answer is cyclometry. — Brian Donovan, Feb 24 '15 at 13:38
@Brain phew I was starting to get worried, thanks for that. — User1000547, Feb 24 '15 at 14:41

score 22 · Accepted Answer · answered Feb 23 '15 at 11:06

22

This is called Analogy where the relationship between two objects in a set are the same as the relationship between the two objects in another set.

answered Feb 23 '15 at 11:06

X-Man

340

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Nice explanation but just a little too late. – Mari-Lou A Feb 23 '15 at 11:07
2

robusto has enough rep xD – Ogen Feb 23 '15 at 11:38
1

Source? Why not any other term? – Kris Feb 23 '15 at 14:52
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More specifically, since an analogy can be lots of other things as well, this exact kind of analogy is called a *proportion*, at least in comparative linguistics. (Can’t seem to find anywhere on the Internet that actually describes this usage, though.) – Janus Bahs Jacquet Feb 23 '15 at 21:31
@JanusBahsJacquet That is the reason I down voted these two answers and that is also the reason I did not offer an answer yet myself. – Kris Feb 24 '15 at 06:12

score 13 · Answer 2 · answered Feb 23 '15 at 10:56

13

On standardized tests in the United States (where such questions are most often seen) these are called analogies

answered Feb 23 '15 at 10:56

Robusto

151,571

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Feb 23 '15 at 20:50

You could say this is an act of likening (or that this structure is itself "a likening", though I can't find any official definitions including such a noun), i.e. indicating the relationship between the first pair is like the relationship between the second pair.

score -1 · Answer 4 · edited Jun 15 '20 at 07:40

-1

A comparison.

Black is to White as Up is to ____

4 is to 9 as 8 is to 27

The assumption is that the first comparison is also applicable to the second part of the statement.

edited Jun 15 '20 at 07:40

Community

1

answered Feb 23 '15 at 13:00

JMP

3,614

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This isn't really a comparison, since there is no explicit highlighting of differences or similarities. – Dancrumb Feb 23 '15 at 17:29
The linked definition indicates no need for detailed analysis. See definition 1a: "the representing of one thing or person as similar to or like another". The asker's structure does just that, clearly making it a comparison. – talrnu Feb 23 '15 at 20:59
the Q shows no Mathematics what-so-ever. – JMP Apr 19 '15 at 13:01

Trigonometry is to triangles as ____ is to circles

4 Answers4