Where does “소매치기” come from?

소매치기 (Korean) comes from Korean 치다 — to hit; to play; to call.

소매치기 (Korean): pickpocket

Definitions

  1. pickpocket

Ancestry of “소매치기”, step by step

소매치기 traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Korean 치다

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Korean치다to hit; to play; to call

via Korean 소매

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Korean소매sleeve
Every word from Korean 치다