Nacciṇārkkiṇiyar, also spelled Naccinarkkiniyar or Nachinarkiniyar, was a 14th-century Tamil and Sanskrit scholar famous for his commentaries on Sangam literature and post-Sangam medieval Tamil literature.^[1][2][3] His commentary on some of the most studied Tamil texts such as the Tolkappiyam,^[4] Kuruntokai and Civaka Cintamani have guided scholarship that followed him, including modern era studies of Tamil literature.^[5] According to Kamil Zvelebil, a Tamil literature scholar, Naccinarkiniyar had a "keen poetic sense, awareness of word values". He vividly analyzed the primary text and secondary literature on that primary text, in a sophisticated impartial manner seen in modern era scholarship. He paid attention to minute details with a critical observation, states Zvelebil, and Naccinarkiniyar's work shows "a clear mind and a vast erudition" of Tamil and Sanskrit works.^[6]

Naccinarkiniyar was a Brahmin of the Shaivism tradition of Hinduism.^[7] Nacinarkiniyar wrote commentaries on the Tolkāppiyam, Pattuppāṭṭu, Kaliththokai, Kuṟuntokai and Civaka Cintamani.

• Ten Medieval Commentators
• Commentaries in Tamil literary tradition