Why “luxury vehicle” can’t be written as “luxurious car”

[Joe Carillo]

Question e-mailed by forces20, Forum member (October 15, 2011):

Good evening Sir Carillo,

1. Why can’t the phrases/terms “luxury vehicle” and “development communication” be written instead as “luxurious car” and “developmental communication,” respectively?

2. Is the article “the” necessary in “Department of the Interior and Local Government”?

3. Why do we need to use “between” in the phrase “read between the lines” and “between the rivers” instead of the preposition “among”? (I encounter numerous phrases using the preposition “between”).

Thanks,
forces20

My reply to forces20:

(1)
A “luxury vehicle” and a “luxurious car” are two different things.

A “luxury vehicle” is a term that refers to a class of vehicles that are more expensive than standard models because they have features that are not absolutely necessary but are offered to add prestige, comfort, or pleasure to people who can afford them. For instance, among Toyota cars, the Vios is an entry-level model—meaning lower-priced—while the Lexus is a luxury model that commands several multiples of the price of the lower-priced models. In terms of class of vehicles, sedans are usually offered by car manufacturers as lower-priced models and sports utility vehicles as well as sports cars as luxury models.

On the other hand, a “luxurious car” is a very expensive one characterized by self-indulgence and ostentation on the part of its owner. It is bought not so much for its use as transportation as for the sense of prestige and social distinction it gives to its owner. In a society where most everybody drives a Toyota or Kia sedan, for instance, a Camaro or Aston-Martin would conspicuously stand out as a luxurious car.

As to “development communication” and “developmental communication,” they are actually two different things. “Development communication” is a generic term that refers to the communication of nothing specific; it’s something that’s neither here nor there. In contrast, “developmental communication” is communication designed to assist growth or bring about improvement of a skill or craft; specifically, it refers to a college course offered to teach the discipline of bringing about such growth or improvement.

(2)
Using the article “the” in “Department of the Interior and Local Government” is a stylistic choice rather than a grammatical one. That proper noun can do as well without that “the.”

(3)
The use of “between” instead of “among” in the phrases “read between the lines” and “between the rivers” is dictated by the particular semantics of those phrases. This is a rather thorny aspect of English grammar that baffles a lot of people. To fully understand the usage of those two prepositions, I suggest you check out an earlier Forum posting of mine on the subject, “My hunch was right about the usage of ‘between’ and ‘among.’”

[rissedixon]

I see,thanks for this post I really learn a lot. "A“luxury vehicle” is a term that refers to a class of vehicles that are more expensive than standard models because they have features that are not absolutely necessary but are offered to add prestige, comfort, or pleasure to people who can afford them.While, a “luxurious car” is a very expensive one characterized by self-indulgence and ostentation on the part of its owner".

I know there are just few lucky people who are die hard fan of luxury vehicles. But there are also some that are trying hard just to ride on it or just have one on their garage!Are you one of these people? Do you point at luxury vehicles when one drives past, chuckle knowingly and remind whoever will listen that for the decrease in worth that vehicle is going to experience over the next few years, you could purchase at least two new economy vehicles? If this sounds familiar, this article is for you. These are among the most depreciated cars of the past ten years. Get a buy here, pay here, car that you love.