Therefore, the languages spoken in the "East Indies" vary greatly depending on which specific region you're referring to.
Here are some examples based on different interpretations of the term:
Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, etc.):
* Indonesian: The official language of Indonesia, spoken by a vast majority of the population.
* Malay: The national language of Malaysia, also widely spoken in Brunei and Singapore.
* Javanese: One of the major regional languages of Indonesia.
* Sundanese: Another major regional language of Indonesia.
* Balinese: Spoken on the island of Bali, Indonesia.
* Filipino: The official language of the Philippines, based on Tagalog.
* Thai: The official language of Thailand.
* Vietnamese: The official language of Vietnam.
* Many other regional languages and dialects.
South Asia (India, Sri Lanka, etc.):
* Hindi: The most widely spoken language in India.
* Bengali: The official language of Bangladesh, also spoken in India.
* Marathi: A major regional language of India.
* Tamil: A major Dravidian language spoken in India and Sri Lanka.
* Telugu: A major Dravidian language spoken in India.
* Sinhala: The official language of Sri Lanka.
* Many other regional languages and dialects.
Oceania (Papua New Guinea, etc.):
* Papua New Guinean Pidgin: A widespread lingua franca in Papua New Guinea.
* Tok Pisin: A creole language spoken in Papua New Guinea.
* English: The official language of Papua New Guinea and many other Pacific islands.
* Many indigenous languages, with hundreds of distinct languages spoken in Papua New Guinea alone.
To provide a more specific answer, you need to clarify which region you are interested in.