to form Korano Ngaruha ("Four Kings") or Raja Ampat, Papoua Gam Sio ( "The Papua Nine Negeri"), and Mafor Soa Raha ( The Mafor "Four Soa"). The name comes from the words papo ("to unite") and ua (negation), which means "not united", i.e. an outlying possession of Tidore.

Anton Ploeg reports that the word papua is often said to be derived from the Malay word papua or pua-pua, meaning "frizzly-haired", referring