Which purpose does the double colon serve in an analogy

Question

it tells you what to say
it divides the analogy into two pairs
it compares the first two words to each other
it ends the analogy

Answer 1

In an analogy, the double colon typically serves to divide the analogy into two pairs. So the correct purpose is: it divides the analogy into two pairs.

For example, in the analogy "cat : kitten :: dog : puppy," the double colon helps to separate the first pair (cat and kitten) from the second pair (dog and puppy).