Behind me at Soccer City stadium yesterday sat these fans. Their team beat Denmark 2-0, so why are they so confused? There are a number of possibilities.
First, are they from Holland or the Netherlands? And whatever the answer to that question, why are they called Dutch and not Hollish or Netherlanders?
Second, if their flag is red, white and blue (as is painted on their cheeks), then why does their soccer team wear all orange? The blonde woman above is obviously thinking about how these colors clash, which makes her both confused and embarrassed.
Finally, they keep hearing people speak English and some African languages, which they expected, but then others are speaking this weird Dutch that sounds like their great grandparents.
Let us try to make some sense of their lives.
First, maybe they're from both Holland and the Netherlands. For Holland is actually a part of the Netherlands, but it can also be used to refer to the country of the Netherlands as a whole. As for calling them Dutch, that's the fault of English speakers, who long ago began referring to the people by the language that was spoken in the area, 'Diets.'
Second, orange is the color of their nation's founding father, William of Orange-Nassau.
Finally, some South Africans are descendants of Dutch settlers who first arrived at the southern tip of Africa in the 17th century. These South Africans call their language Afrikaans today, but it basically sounds like old Dutch to a Dutchman, or a person from Holland, or a Netherlander, or whatever.