proverb · Source-linked selection
My son is my son till he marries a wife, But my daughter's my daughter all the days of her life.
My son is my son till he marries a wife, But my daughter's my daughter all the days of her life.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying expects marriage to loosen a son’s tie to his parents while a daughter’s tie endures. It expresses an unequal assumption about family loyalty and gender.
What the words are saying
Till and all the days put the two relationships on different timescales. A critical interpretation recognises the expectation without treating it as a fact about children. Families can negotiate new responsibilities and preserve affection in many ways. The useful question is how actual relationships are maintained, rather than which gender is presumed to belong permanently to a parent.
Everyday example
Parents discuss contact and support with each adult child instead of assuming a married son will leave or a daughter must remain available.
When to use it
Use it to discuss gendered expectations of lasting family ties.
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What it does not mean
Gender and marital status do not determine loyalty or create a lifelong obligation to provide care.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 388 · Daughter
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English