Middle Turkic refers to a phase in the development of the Turkic language family, covering much of the Middle Ages (c. 900–1500 CE). In particular the term is used by linguists to refer to a group of Karluk and Oghuz and related languages spoken during this period in Central Asia, Iran, and other parts of the Middle East controlled by the Seljuk Turks.

Classification

Middle Turkic can be divided into eastern and western branches. Eastern Middle Turkic consists of Karakhanid (also called Khaqani Turkic), a literary language which was spoken in Kashgar, Balasaghun and other cities along the Silk Road and its later descendants such as Khorezmian Turkic and Chagatai. The western branch consists of Kipchak languages documented in Codex Cumanicus and various Mamlukean Kipchak texts from Egypt and Syria, and Oghuz Turkic represented by Old Anatolian Turkish. Old Anatolian Turkish was noted to be initially influenced by Eastern Middle Turkic traditions. Karluk and Oghuz "Middle Turkic" period overlaps with the East Old Turkic period, which covers the 8th to 13th centuries, thus sometimes Karakhanid language is categorized under the "Old Turkic" period.

Literary works