grammarmeaningvocabulary
I have a domain research for a company and since English is not my first language I was wondering about the difference between e.g.
Boston Consulting and Boston Consultants
My guess is that the first one refers to the company as a whole and the second refers to the people of the company.
Thank you for your guidance.
Beggar is obviously different from the other two in that he is not offering goods for sale, just begging.
From the definitions, both hawkers and peddlers travel about selling things, but in my mind a hawker is more of a person who calls out their goods for sale in a public place, while a peddler may be going door to door.
These definitions were found on Wordnik:
chest:
- A sturdy box with a lid and often a lock, used especially for storage.
- The part of the body between the neck and the abdomen, enclosed by the ribs and the breastbone; the thorax.trunk:
- A large packing case or box that clasps shut, used as luggage or for storage.
- The body of a human or animal excluding the head and limbs.
I found it interesting that the words were practically synonymous in two very different senses.
As to your comment: dictionaries do not seem to be very specific when defining "trunk" and "chest", that's partly because, much like the storage items themselves, the words are very versatile.
Quite often, you'll find a descriptive word in front of chest: treasure chest, tea chest, tool chest, medicine chest, e.g.
There are other ways the words differ, too: some might call a bureau a chest (or chest of drawers), and many of us carry a key that opens the trunk of our car. I suggest visiting the Wordnik pages for expanded definitions and example uses.
As for using the words in your original sense (to describe an object such as the one depicted below), I think you were onto something when you said we'd be more likely to travel with a trunk than with a chest, but I might use either word to describe the object in the picture.
Best Answer
You should not assume that either refers to a Company (which is a legal structure) since either term could also be used for a partnership or another corporate structure.
You are correct in inferring that using Boston Consulting tends to focus attention on the entity as a whole and their shared capabilities while Boston Consultants emphasises the individuals that make up the group and their particular expertise.
The choice is probably more concerned with "branding" or image than with governance. There is no reason that one man operating out of his garage could not register and use the name Boston Consulting to disguise the fact that he is the only consultant available (and perhaps the receptionist as well.)