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First attested as Middle Koreanᄇᆞᆰ〯쥐〮(pǒlkcwúy) in the Gugeup ganibang eonhae (救急簡易方諺解 / 구급간이방언해), 6:68a, 1489, seemingly a compound of some *ᄇᆞᆰ〯(*pǒlk) + 쥐〮(cwúy, “rat”).
Folk etymology commonly attributes the first component to ᄇᆞᆰ다〮(pòlktá, “to be bright”), supposedly reflecting a popular belief that bats have bright eyes that allow them to see at night. However, ᄇᆞᆰ다〮 has an initial low tone in contrast to this term's initial rising tone, rendering the connection likely unetymological.