South African Dutch settlers, also known as Boers (4 letters) or Afrikaners (9 letters), were Dutch-speaking colonists who settled in South Africa in the 17th century. They spoke a language called Taal (4 letters), which is still spoken by some Afrikaners today. The Boers were mainly farmers and established their own independent republics in the 19th century. They were eventually defeated by the British in the Second BOER War of 1899-1902.