LibreOffice keeps changing my language setting

[fsinclaire]

I have LibreOffice ver 7.1.3.2 on an iMac with Big Sur. How can I get Preferences>Language Settings>Languages>Default Languages for Documents>Western, to remain at “English (USA)”? (Incidentally, I notice that “English (USA)” is preceded by “AB” and a green check mark. I did not insert that, and I do not know what it signifies.)

My problem is, LibreOffice constantly changes “English (USA)” to “German (Austria)” (also with “AB” and a green check mark).

I suppose it does not make much difference, except when I am writing (in English), virtually every word I type is underlined in red, indicating misspelling. The only way to undo that is to reset at Preferences>Language Settings>Languages>Default Languages for Documents>Western

I keep repairing the setting at Preferences>Language Settings>Languages>Default Languages for Documents>Western, but the next day, when I log in again, “German (Austria)” is back.

Thank you for your help.

[anon87010807]

AB and the check mark simply mean that a dictionary for that language is available. I vaguely remember a similar case where the default language resets to the language specified in the country settings of your operating system - so if you’re in Austria, LibO might by some trick get German (Austria) from your country settings. I can’t remember how to circumvent that.

[Wanderer]

I remember a recent question, where a font could nit be changed on Mac for the BASIC IDE, while it is possible on Win. Maybe the Mac has stricter guidelines.

(I’m assuming your settings are realy fixed. I’t is also possible you have a default template set to austria, wich stays in german even if you set your language set to english. Useful to prevent “Wilhem Tell” from checked by an english spellcheck …)

[Wanderer]

No solution, but a work-around.
Usually the default setting is nice, but not necessary, as the language is a property of the paragraph. (Otherwise we could never spellcheck documents with citations or multiple Languages.)

So you can create several empty documents as templates according to your needs. Set the language there and use SaveAs → WriterTemplate at the end.

You can also set your changed template as default template. (Imho should not be to different to the original one.)

These template s will carry their language even if opened on french, spanish or chinese installations.

[fsinclaire]

Thank you all.

I have followed Wanderer’s suggestion … I think.

This is what I did:
Opened a new Writer document, and then at LibreOffice>Preferences>LibreOffice>UserData>Country/region, I typed USA
and at >Language settings>Language> I checked English (USA)

Then at File>Templates>Save as template>Template category>My templates>Template name>My Writer template

If I find that it works properly all around, then I will put a check mark at “Set as default”. Until then, I will simply select that template whenever opening a Writer document

[fsinclaire]

What I did is working, so I have checked “Solution” on my message that says what I did.
I do not doubt that there is a better, more technically appropriate, way to do it, but this works, and that’s enough.
Again, thank you all for your help.

[Villeroy]

See Language setting

By default, the (Western) language setting applies to brand new documents that are NOT derived from any templates.
If you want to change the language for an existing template or document, open that template/document and change the language with the additional option “Current document only” being checked.