diff --git a/chrome.html b/chrome.html
index 366df2f4..dad59d93 100644
--- a/chrome.html
+++ b/chrome.html
@@ -724,7 +724,11 @@
   let systemLocaleCached = "en-US";
   function short(tag) { return String(tag || "").split("-")[0].toUpperCase().slice(0, 2) || "??"; }
   function langName(tag) {
-    try { return new Intl.DisplayNames(["en"], { type: "language" }).of(tag) || tag; }
+    // Base language only: "en-US" → "English", not "American English". The
+    // picker's one row per language already encodes "which English"; the chip
+    // tooltip just needs the plain name.
+    const base = String(tag || "").split("-")[0];
+    try { return new Intl.DisplayNames(["en"], { type: "language" }).of(base) || tag; }
     catch { return tag; }
   }
   function renderLang(s) {
diff --git a/main.js b/main.js
index 05429002..59ed69f7 100644
--- a/main.js
+++ b/main.js
@@ -4108,10 +4108,13 @@ function setWebsiteLanguage(mode, value) {
   applyAcceptLanguage();
   try { chrome?.webContents.send("settings-update", settings); } catch {}
 }
-// Human-readable name for a BCP-47 tag ("de" → "German") via V8 Intl.
-// Falls back to the tag itself if the locale isn't recognised.
+// Human-readable name for a BCP-47 tag — the plain language name, no regional
+// qualifier ("en-US" → "English", not "American English"). The picker only
+// shows one entry per language, so the regional half of a tag is noise in
+// labels; pass the base ("en") to Intl.DisplayNames to get the clean name.
 function languageNameFor(tag) {
-  try { return new Intl.DisplayNames(["en"], { type: "language" }).of(tag) || tag; }
+  const base = String(tag || "").split("-")[0];
+  try { return new Intl.DisplayNames(["en"], { type: "language" }).of(base) || tag; }
   catch { return tag; }
 }
 ipcMain.handle("system-locale", () => app.getLocale() || "en-US");
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 7046928b..e51c0102 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "theseus-navigator",
-  "version": "0.3.61",
+  "version": "0.3.62",
   "license": "MPL-2.0",
   "description": "Theseus Navigator — a browser that follows the thread. By Silent Mode, a Deviant project.",
   "author": "Silent Mode",
diff --git a/settings.html b/settings.html
index 91dfc4c6..a067bc89 100644
--- a/settings.html
+++ b/settings.html
@@ -1013,11 +1013,12 @@
       { tag: "he-IL", label: "עברית" },
       { tag: "zh-TW", label: "中文（繁體）" },
     ];
-    // "English" for a locale tag ("en-US" → "English", "de-DE" → "German") via
-    // browser Intl. Used for the "Automatic (…)" label so it reads as a
-    // language name rather than a raw tag.
+    // Plain language name for a locale tag — no regional qualifier so en-US
+    // reads as "English", not "American English" (one picker row per language,
+    // so the regional half is noise). Pass just the base to Intl.DisplayNames.
     const langNameFor = (tag) => {
-      try { return new Intl.DisplayNames(["en"], { type: "language" }).of(tag) || tag; }
+      const base = String(tag || "").split("-")[0];
+      try { return new Intl.DisplayNames(["en"], { type: "language" }).of(base) || tag; }
       catch { return tag; }
     };
     (async () => {