Trade

In Appalachian and Southern speech, "trade" means 1) shopping or buying from a business, 2) barter/exchange, or, 3) line of work.

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Hillbilly Dude Says...

You'll hear 'I stopped tradin' with so-in-so' in the rural areas around here.

Hillbilly Dude Says...

You'll hear 'I stopped tradin' with so-in-so' in the rural areas around here.

Pronunciation

[TRAYD]

Meaning & Usage

- To do business with (Appalachian use) (verb)

Mae:

You still trade at Johnson’s Market?

Earl:

Nope, not since they stopped stockin’ cornmeal.

- To exchange or barter (verb)

Earl:

I’ll trade you my hammer for that saw.

- A line of work or profession (noun)

Mae:

Plumbin’s his trade, always has been.

variations: trading, tradin'

★ In Appalachian speech, saying "I don’t trade with them" can carry strong social weight - a way of showing disapproval or distrust. ★

Origin and Etymology

From Old English "trād" meaning a path or course. Over time it came to mean exchange of goods, then broadened to "business" and "profession." The Appalachian use of "trade" as regular shopping or dealings is a survival of older English speech.

Usage Notes

Still widely heard in Appalachia and the South, especially among older speakers. Outside these regions, "trade" mostly means barter or profession, not day-to-day business dealings.

Say It Like a Southerner

Said plain: "trayd." Quick and clipped, often in "tradin’" form.

Kin Topics

Common Questions

Does "trade" mean just bartering?

No - in hillbilly/Appalachian speech, it usually means doing business with someone.

Do people outside the South use "trade" this way?

Rarely. In most of the U.S., "trade" means exchange or profession.

Is "tradin’ with someone" still common?

Yes - especially in rural areas, often with loyalty to certain stores or family-run businesses.

How to Cite This Page

APA (7th edition)
The Hillbilly Dude. (2025, September 4). Trade. HillbillySlang.com. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/trade
MLA (9th edition)
"The Hillbilly Dude." "Trade." HillbillySlang.com, 4 Sept. 2025, https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/trade.
Chicago (17th edition)
The Hillbilly Dude. "Trade." HillbillySlang.com. September 4, 2025. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/trade.