There are various theories about why the Chinese character "秦" is read as "Hata" (formerly "Hada"), one of which is that the reading derives from "Pada" meaning ocean in Korean, others being that it derives from the word for "loom" in Japanese, or from "Hatan," a place in Silla (ancient Korea).
ハタ（古くはハダ）という読みについては朝鮮語のパダ（海）によるとする説のほか、機織や、新羅の波旦という地名と結び付ける説もある。