The two words coif and quaff are pronounced in the same way, but their meanings are completely different. There are some differences between “coif” and “quaff” in terms of meaning and grammar. Therefore, this article aims to highlight the difference between coif and quaff.
Summary Table
| Coif | Quaff |
| A noun. | A verb. |
| Refers to a covering for the head. | Refers to an action of drinking something in a large amount. |
Definitions
A coif is a medieval hood that was worn over the head and neck as part of the full plate armor by men-at-arms in the 14th century. The coif was a padded cloth that was usually stuffed with wool or horsehair and tied under the chin.
A coif was worn under the great helm in order to protect the neck from attacks from all directions. The coif prevented arrows and other weapons from getting stuck in the hair and piercing the neck. It also prevented other injuries like head butts, being thrown off the horse, etc.
Some historians believe that it is derived from the cowls worn by medieval monks in the 11th century. The hoods were meant to protect them from the cold and wet weather while traveling on foot for long distances between monasteries.
Quaff means “to drink heartily” or “to drink in large gulps”. It is used as a verb meaning “to drink with gusto” or “to drain (a cup) at one draught”. Quaff is also a noun that means “a hearty draught of liquid” or “a drink”. Quaff is derived from the Old Norse word kafja, which means “to gulp down”. It was used in the 13th century and has been used since then.
The origin of quaff can be traced back to the early 1400s, when it was first used in a work called “The Tale of Beryn” by Geoffrey Chaucer. The word was later used in William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet (1603). The usage of quaff had become widespread by then.
Coif vs Quaff
Before we discuss the differences between coif and quaff, we need to understand the basic English Grammar rules. In the English language, there are eight parts of speech. These are Noun, Pronoun, Verb, Adjective, Adverb, Preposition, Conjunction and Interjection. These eight parts of speech are further divided into two categories i.e. main parts of speech and the other is the derived parts of speech.
- Noun
Noun is the part of speech that denotes a person, place, thing or idea. It is the naming word of a person, place, thing or idea. There are different types of nouns such as common nouns, proper nouns and collective nouns. A common noun is the name of a general person, place or thing whereas a proper noun is the name of an individual person, place or thing. Collective noun refers to any group of people and things but not in a group like a club etc.
- Pronoun
A pronoun is used in place of a noun to avoid repetition of that word and hence making the sentence less complex. Pronouns are also known as substitutive words. There are different types of pronouns such as personal pronouns, possessive pronouns, reflexive pronouns, demonstrative pronouns, relative pronouns and indefinite pronouns.
- Verb
A verb is a word that shows the action or state of being of a person or thing. There are different types of verbs such as transitive verbs, intransitive verbs, linking verbs and helping verbs. Transitive verb denotes an action that passes from the subject to the object. Intransitive verb denotes an action that does not pass from the subject to the object. Linking verb shows a relationship between two ideas whereas helping verb helps in making a sentence complete by showing tense etc.
- Adjective
An adjective is used to describe or modify a noun or pronoun. There are different types of adjectives such as attributive adjectives, predicative adjectives and qualitative adjectives. Attributive adjective describes something but not in relation to any other word whereas predicative adjective describes something in relation to another word. Qualitative adjective describes the kind of person, place or thing.
- Adverb
An adverb is used to modify a verb, adjective or another adverb. There are different types of adverbs such as degree adverbs, time adverbs, place adverbs and manner adverbs. Degree adverbs show the degree of an action such as very, quite etc. Time adverbs show the time of an action like now, yesterday etc. Place adverbs show the place of an action like here, there etc. Manner adverbs show the manner of an action like quickly, slowly etc.
- Preposition
A preposition is used to show the relationship between a noun or pronoun and another word in a sentence. There are different types of prepositions such as absolute prepositions, conditional prepositions, comparative prepositions, conjunctive prepositions, disjunctive prepositions, indefinite prepositions, intensive prepositions, interrogative prepositions, relative prepositions and reciprocate prepositions.
- Conjunction
A conjunction is used to join words or sentences together. There are different types of conjunctions such as coordinating conjunctions, correlative conjunctions and subordinating conjunctions. Coordinating conjunctions are used to join two words or phrases together. Correlative conjunctions are used to join two clauses or sentences together. Subordinating conjunctions are used to show the relationship between a main clause and a subordinate clause.
- Interjection
An interjection is a word that expresses an emotion like surprise, happiness etc. There are different types of interjections such as exclamatory interjections and expletive interjections. Exclamatory interjections are used to express surprise, happiness etc. Expletive interjections are used to fill the gap in a sentence or just to make the sentence sound complete.
Now, coif and quaff are different parts of speech. Coif is a noun whereas quaff is a verb. Coif is a noun that refers to a covering for the head, especially for the neck and shoulders. It is worn by men and women in different periods of history. Quaff is a verb that means to drink with enjoyment. It also means to drink a large amount of something quickly.
