Panicker

Panicker (sometimes Panikkar) is an Indian title or last name.

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."

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.

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