If Indonesia and South Africa were colonized by the Netherlands, why don't they speak Dutch? <https://www.quora.com/If-Indonesia-and-South-Africa-were-colonized-by-the-Netherlands-why-dont-they-speak-Dutch> <https://www.quora.com/profile/Royi-Eltink> Royi Eltink <https://www.quora.com/profile/Royi-Eltink>, Dutch, European citizen, sustainable energy investor Answered June 12, 2019 <https://www.quora.com/If-Indonesia-and-South-Africa-were-colonized-by-the-Netherlands-why-dont-they-speak-Dutch/answer/Royi-Eltink>
In Indonesia, sometimes they do. “When you don’t know the English (or Indonesian) word. Try the Dutch word” is an age-old Dutch traveller’s advice for Indonesia. Often works marvellously. Another favourite (and fun) pasttime of Dutch in Indonesia, is looking at street signs or billboards and look for Dutch words. Sometimes, words are the same.. Sometimes, words are swapped.. Or they changed the spelling (but often sound the same). Sometimes, words that aren’t even used anymore in Dutch.. More well-read Dutch often refer to Indonesia as the warm treasure-trove of carefully preserved forgotten Dutch words (vergeetwoorden).
