Oost-Indisch doof

Dutch Alternative forms nl Oostindisch doof Etymology Compound of nl Oost-Indisch doof East Indian deaf. Explanations for this compound include East Indian serfs acting to be deaf or lost in translation to avoid doing certain tasks, and sailors returning from the East Indies and acting deaf to test their families or to avoid certain tasks. Pronunciation nl /oːstˈɪn.dis ˌdoːf/ nl Nl-Oost-Indisch doof.ogg nl Oost In disch doof Adjective - Acting deaf or misunderstanding to avoid doing something that one is ordered or asked to do nl 1885 Een ernstig woord uit Indië aan Nederland A grave word from the Indies to the Netherlands M.M. Couvée The Hague 38 Daarin kan slechts een reden te meer gelegen zijn om voor de wezenlijke belangen en behoeften van Indië, waarmede die van Nederland zoo nauw samenhangen, niet langer Oost-Indisch doof te blijven, en wij nemen ons voor om dit nieuwe gevaar in een slotartikel te bespreken. In this can only be yet another reason to no longer, to the essential interests and needs of the Indies, with which those of the Netherlands are so closely intertwined, keep acting deaf, and we intend to cover this danger in a concluding article. Usage notes Can normally only be used in its indeclined form, with a subject and usually a form of the verb nl zijn to be, altough, as demonstrated in the quotation, other verbs may be used.