n. pl. Turkmen or Turk·mens 1. A native or inhabitant of Turkmenistan. 2. also Tur·ko·man or Tur·co·man (tûrkə-mən) pl. Turkoman or Turcoman or Tur·ko·mans or Tur·co·mans A member of a traditionally nomadic Turkic people inhabiting Turkmenistan and neighboring areas in Iran and Afghanistan. 3. also Turkoman or Turcoman The Turkic language of the Turkmen. 4. A member of a Turkic people of northern Iraq. 5. The Turkic language of the Iraqi Turkmen. [Medieval Latin Turcomannus, from Persian turkmān, Turklike, Turkmen : turk, Turk (from Old Turkic türk; see TURK) + -mān, resembling, like (from mānistan, mān-, to resemble; akin to Avestan mana-, measurement, manner, from mā-, to measure; akin to Sanskrit mimīte, he measures; see mē-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots).] Turkmen, Turko·man, Turco·man adj. |
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