noun
Historical term for a rotating savings and credit association, often seen in the compound 頼母子講 (たのもしこう). Rare in modern usage.
See also: 頼母子講
江戸時代には、頼母子講が庶民の金融手段として広く利用された。
In the Edo period, mutual financing associations were widely used as a means of finance among commoners.
頼母子講 is the full compound meaning 'mutual financing association'; 頼母子 is the abbreviated form.
The derivation is uncertain. The kanji 頼 (rely), 母 (mother), 子 (child) are conventionally associated with the meaning, but the exact origin is unclear.