Panicker
Panicker (sometimes Panikkar) is an Indian title or last name.
Etymology
The Dravidian Etymological Dictionary, entry number 3884, considers the word Panikkan as a word of Dravidian etymology, deriving from the Dravidian root word Pani, meaning service, work etc. Panikkan could mean a person who commands as well as one who serves. The DED traces cognates of the word Panikkan in twelve Dravidian languages, besides Malayalam.
The Portuguese traveller Duarte Barbosa said that "They are the skillful men who teach this art Kalarippayattu, and they are called the Panickers: these are the captains in war.".[1] V Nagam Aiya in his book Travancore state manual, refers to them as "Knight " [2] of the army
Spelling
Following the current conventions for Romanising Malayalam without diacritic marks, the name would be "Panikkar". However, Panikker, Panicker, Panickar, Paniker, Panikar, Panniker, Pannikavannar and possibly other variants are to be found.
Notable people
- Putumanna Panikkar Nair chavers of Mamankam festival−
- Cheerappanchira Panicker
- K. N. Panikkar
- Kavungal Chathunni Panicker
- Ayyappa Paniker
- Ambanattu Panicker
- Arattapuzha Velayudha Panicker
- Geevarghese Panicker
- Kavalam Narayana Panicker
- K. M. Panikkar, diplomat
- Muloor S.Padmanabha Panicker
- P. K. Narayana Panicker, a former General Secretary of the Nair Service Society
- P. N. Panicker
- Rahul Panicker
- Raimon Panikkar
- Renji Panicker