He initially aimed to work as a linguist in Halmahera, but was sent to Tana Toraja at the suggestion of missionary Antonie Aris van de Loosdrecht.
The Biblical Institute of the Netherlands issued instructions to Dr. Hendrik van der Veen on June 9, 1916: his main task was the translation of the Bible, in accordance with his expertise as a linguist.
At the end of August, he arrived at Makassar, boarding the ship to Palopo and then to Rantepao.
Van der Veen remained in Indonesia after its independence from the Netherlands in 1948 until ca.
This dictionary was not completed by van der Veen, and ultimately continued by J. Tammu and L.