Turkoman, also known as Turcoman[note 1] (English: /ˈtərkəmən/),[2] was a term for the people of Oghuz Turkic origin, widely used during the Middle Ages.

[5] The first-known mention of the term "Turkmen", "Turkman" or "Turkoman" occurs near the end of the 10th century A.D in Islamic literature by the Arab geographer al-Muqaddasi in Ahsan Al-Taqasim Fi Ma'rifat Al-Aqalim.

In his work, which was completed in 987 A.D, al-Muqaddasi writes about Turkmens twice while depicting the region as the frontier of the Muslim possessions in Central Asia.

This polity, whose inhabitants spoke Oghuz Turkic, occupied an area between the Aral and Caspian seas in Central Asia.

[12] Muslim Oghuz people, generally identified as Turkmens by then,[13] rallied around the Qinik tribe that made up the core of the future Seljuq tribal union and the state they would create in the 11th century.

[15] The 12th-century Persian writer al-Marwazi wrote about the arrival of Turkmens to Muslim lands, portraying them as people of noble character who are strong and persistent in battle because of their nomadic lifestyle, and calling them sultans (rulers).

[20] Medieval Turkmens markedly contributed to the expansion of Islam with their extensive conquests of previously Christian lands, specifically those of Byzantine Anatolia and the Caucasus.

[22] Kashgari had cited phonetic, lexical and grammatical features of the language of Oghuz-Turkmens;[23] he also identified several dialects and presented a couple of examples displaying the differences.

[34][35] Other prominent works of literature produced during the High Middle Ages also include the Oghuzname, Battalname, Danishmendname, Köroğlu epics, which are part of the literary history of Azerbaijanis, Turks of Turkey, and Turkmens.

[36] The Book of Dede Korkut is a collection of epics and stories bearing witness to the language, the way of life, religions, traditions and social norms of the Oghuz Turks.