How did Aristotle’s term logic focus on relationships between terms?

Aristotle’s logic is characterized as a term logic because it focuses on the logical relationships between terms within propositions and valid inferences. In his system, terms are the items that function as the subjects or predicates of categorical propositions.1234

Aristotle analyzed these relationships by identifying three distinct roles terms play within a syllogism:
* Major term: The predicate of the conclusion.3
* Minor term: The subject of the conclusion.3
* Middle term: The term that appears in both premises, serving to link the major and minor terms.3

To achieve generality and abstraction, Aristotle introduced the use of variables (placeholders like $\alpha$, $\beta$, and $\gamma$) to represent these terms. By examining how these terms relate through different quantities (universal or particular) and qualities (affirmative or negative), he established rules for valid inference. This approach allowed him to determine which patterns of argument—or "moods"—necessarily lead to a true conclusion if the premises are true, distinguishing his work as a systematic study of logical consequence.1234