--- In norse_course@yahoogroups.com, "valentens.tales"
<adrien.perinot@...> wrote:

> What is the difference between old norse & old icelandic ? What
> I've understood is that Old Norse corresponds to "South/East"
> scandinavian dialect, whereas old icelandic refers to a Western
> dialect.

Old Icelandic is specifically the language of Iceland from its
settlement through the High Middle Ages. The term 'Old Norse'
is sometimes used for Old West Scandinavian, which comprises
Old Icelandic and Old Norwegian, and sometimes much more loosely
to include Old East Scandinavian as well. For a brief
introduction to the terminology, see

<http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/talan/scandinavianlang.html>.

> Are these languages really different ? Which one should I begin
> with ?

As the term 'Old Norse' is most often used, there's essentially
no difference.

Brian