The logic behind "くすぐったい"


I am interested in the literal meaning of くすぐったい. If くすぐったい is equivalent to
the English expression, "That tickles!" (said by someone being tickled), what
is the literal meaning of this word? If it is an adjective stemming from the
verb くすぐる, would it literally mean "I want to tickle!"? Is there a logic
behind the use of the -tai form adjective ( expressing desire ) that I am not
getting?




> If くすぐったい is equivalent to the English expression, "That tickles!" (said by
> someone being tickled),

Translation requires context. In additional to "tickles", it may also mean
"embarrassing": そんなに褒められると擽ったい.

> what is the literal meaning of this word?

From the verb kusugur- (擽る, to tickle), the adjective kusuguttai describes the
situation of being tickled. Note that there is also kosogur- and kosoguttai.

> Is there a logic behind the use of the -tai form adjective ( expressing
> desire ) that I am not getting?

As the desiderative -tai, this would become kusuguRItai. Rather, this is
another -(t)tai suffix that expresses 1) extremeness and 2) situational. There
are both -tai and -ttai forms. Other examples include atubottai, bottai,
habattai, harebottai, hirabettai, hirattai, kemutai, kemuttai, kutihabattai,
medetai, tumetai, usirometai, usubettai, uzattai, yabottai, zirettai.




> If くすぐったい is equivalent to the English expression, "That tickles!" (said by
> someone being tickled),

Translation requires context. In additional to "tickles", it may also mean
"embarrassing": そんなに褒められると擽ったい.

> what is the literal meaning of this word?

From the verb kusugur- (擽る, to tickle), the adjective kusuguttai describes the
situation of being tickled. Note that there is also kosogur- and kosoguttai.

> Is there a logic behind the use of the -tai form adjective ( expressing
> desire ) that I am not getting?

As the desiderative -tai, this would become kusuguRItai. Rather, this is
another -(t)tai suffix that expresses 1) extremeness and 2) situational. There
are both -tai and -ttai forms. Other examples include atubottai, bottai,
habattai, harebottai, hirabettai, hirattai, kemutai, kemuttai, kutihabattai,
medetai, tumetai, usirometai, usubettai, uzattai, yabottai, zirettai.

