Open Sesame
E418775
"Open Sesame" is the magical phrase from the folk tale "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" that causes a hidden thieves' treasure cave to open.
All labels observed (1)
| Label | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| Open Sesame canonical | 2 |
Statements (48)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
catchphrase
ⓘ
magic phrase ⓘ password phrase ⓘ |
| appearsIn |
Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves
ⓘ
One Thousand and One Nights NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| associatedWith |
magic
ⓘ
secret cave ⓘ thieves ⓘ treasure ⓘ |
| contrastedWith | incorrect phrases that fail to open the cave ⓘ |
| culturalOrigin | Middle Eastern folklore ⓘ |
| etymologyHypothesis | may relate to sesame pods opening ⓘ |
| firstKnownIn | medieval Arabic manuscripts of One Thousand and One Nights ⓘ |
| function |
opens a hidden cave
ⓘ
reveals thieves' treasure ⓘ |
| genre | folk tale element ⓘ |
| hasAdaptation |
stage adaptations of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves
ⓘ
various film adaptations of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves ⓘ |
| hasEnglishForm | Open Sesame ⓘ |
| hasMistranslation | sometimes thought to refer to sesame seeds literally ⓘ |
| hasMotiveContext | used to steal treasure in the story ⓘ |
| hasNotableCharacterInteraction |
Ali Baba overhears thieves using the phrase
ⓘ
Ali Baba's brother forgets the phrase and is trapped ⓘ |
| hasTranslation | Open, O sesame ⓘ |
| influenced | modern expressions about opening or unlocking ⓘ |
| languageOfOrigin | Arabic ⓘ |
| medium | oral literature ⓘ |
| moralContext | connected to themes of greed and justice ⓘ |
| narrativeEffect |
creates sense of wonder
ⓘ
marks transition from ordinary to magical space ⓘ |
| narrativeRole | plot device ⓘ |
| opposesPhrase | Close Sesame ⓘ |
| originalForm | iftah ya simsim ⓘ |
| partOf |
The Arabian Nights
ⓘ
surface form:
Arabian Nights tradition
|
| referencedIn |
cartoons
ⓘ
children's literature ⓘ comics ⓘ fantasy fiction ⓘ popular culture ⓘ |
| requires | correct wording to work in the tale ⓘ |
| symbolizes |
access to hidden wealth
ⓘ
secret knowledge ⓘ sudden opportunity ⓘ |
| usedAs |
metaphor for easy access
ⓘ
metaphor for unlocking secrets ⓘ |
| usedBy |
Ali Baba
ⓘ
forty thieves ⓘ |
| usedIn | Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves ⓘ |
Referenced by (2)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.