痛い

From Old Japanese 痛し (itasi),^[1][2][3][4] from Proto-Japonic *eta (“painful”). Might originally be an interjection; compare English ouch.

• (Tokyo) いたい (Nakadaka – )^[5]
• IPA^(key):

痛(いた)い • (itai) -i (adverbial 痛(いた)く (itaku))

1. painful

   頭(あたま)が痛(いた)い。

   Atama ga itai.

   I have a headache.

   お腹(なか)が痛(いた)い。

   Onaka ga itai.

   My stomach hurts.

   痛(いた)っ！

   Ita'!

   Ow!

2. イタい: (slang) cringy; embarrassing
   • (Can we date this quote?), いたる, “#31 アオバ、妹いるってよ”, in キモオタ、アイドルやるってよ‎:

     「てっきり推(お)しを自(じ)分(ぶん)の妹(いもうと)とか言(い)ってるイタい人(ひと)かと思(おも)ってましたよ〜」

     “Tekkiri oshi o jibun no imōto to ka itteru itai hito ka to omottemashita yo~”

     "I totally thought that you were just one of those embarrassing people who call their favorite idol their little sister or something!"

3. (obsolete) wonderful, pleasant

The desiderative suffix たい (tai) is ultimately derived from this word. The sense of “wonderful” may have influenced this development.

The shift in meaning towards only meaning “painful” is similar to the changes of the word すばらしい (subarashii, “terrible→wonderful”) or of English terrific, sick, and wicked, and contrary to awful.

• (embarrassing): 痛(いた)々(いた)しい (itaitashii)
• (wonderful): 素晴(すば)らしい (subarashii)

• 片(かた)腹(はら)痛(いた)い (kataharaitai): ridiculous, absurd
• 手(て)痛(いた)い (teitai): severe (situation)
• 痛(いた)い痛(いた)い病(びょう) (itai itai byō): itai-itai disease (lit. ouch-ouch-disease)
• 痛(いた)車(しゃ) (itasha): a vehicle decorated with images of fictional anime, manga, or game characters
• 痛(いた)チャリ (itachari): a bicycle decorated with images of fictional anime, manga, or game characters
• 痛(いた)電(でん) (itaden): a train car decorated with images of fictional anime, manga, or game characters
• 痛(い)単(たん)車(しゃ) (itansha): a motorcycle decorated with images of fictional anime, manga, or game characters
• 痛(いた)部(べ)屋(や) (itabeya): a room decorated with images of fictional anime, manga, or game characters