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]

Spelling

Following the current conventions for romanising Malayalam without diacritic marks, the name would be "Panikkar". However, Panikker, Panicker, Panickar, Paniker, Panikar, Panniker, and Pannikavannar, and other variants are found.

Notable people

• Achyuta Panikkar, astronomer of Kerala
• Arattupuzha Velayudha Panicker, warrior of the 19th century
• Ayyappa Paniker, poet
• Cheerappanchira Panicker, kalari martial arts practitioner
• G.N.Panicker, literary figure
• Geevarghese Mar Ivanios (born Geevarghese Panickeruveetil), first Archbishop of trivandrum and founder of the Malankara Syrian Catholic Church in Kerala
• Geevarghese Panicker, priest and educationalist of Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, Kerala
• K. M. Panikkar, statesman and diplomat, professor, newspaper editor, historian and novelist

• K. N. Panikkar, historian
• Kadammanitta Ramakrishnan (born M. R. Ramakrishna Panikkar), writer
• Kavalam Madhava Panikkar, diplomat and writer
• Kavalam Narayan Panikkar, dramatist and poet
• Kavalam Narayana Panicker, dramatist, theater director, and poet
• Muloor S. Padmanabha Panicker, Malayalam poet and prominent social reformer
• N. Kesava Panikkar, zoologist
• P. K. Narayana Panicker, former General Secretary and President of the Nair Service Society
• P. N. Panicker, father of the Library Movement
• Prem Panicker, cricket journalist
• Putumanna Panikkar, warrior of Valluvanad family
• Rahul Panicker, entrepreneur, president and co-founder of Embrace Innovations
• Raimon Panikkar, Catalan scholar
• Renji Panicker, journalist, script writer, producer, actor, and director
• Niranam poets:
  • Madhava Panikkar, one of the Niranam poets
  • Rama Panikkar, one of the Niranam poets
  • Sankara Panikkar, one of the Niranam poets

References