proverb · Source-linked selection
Trade is the mother of money.
Trade is the mother of money.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Exchange can generate income. Making trade the mother of money highlights one route to material gain rather than a complete explanation of wealth.
What the words are saying
The mother image presents money as arising from activity between buyers and sellers. It can recognise the role of useful work and exchange in sustaining an undertaking. It does not show that every trade is profitable, honest or fair. A careful reading asks what value is offered, how participants are treated and what costs accompany the transaction, rather than treating income alone as proof of benefit.
Everyday example
A small group considers whether an exchange covers the work involved and treats both sides fairly.
When to use it
Use it to discuss income arising from an exchange.
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What it does not mean
Trade does not guarantee prosperity or establish fairness; this is not financial advice.
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 1650 · Trade
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English