Open Sesame: an Origin Story

The phrase “open sesame” is widely known to speakers across many languages as a way to bring about a desired end without fail. It comes from the story of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, and while this story is widely attributed to A Thousand and One Nights, a collection of ancient Arabic stories, the origins of the phrase “open sesame” are far more recent.

The Present State of Navigation on the Thames Considered; and Certain Regulations Proposed: Burton, John, (1764)

Though the story is Arabic in origin, the phrase “open sesame” is an English translation of a French construction. The word “sesame” may feel suitably Middle Eastern, but there is no etymological history to Arabic and Antoine Galland left no explanation for the phrase. Several etymologies have been proposed, but it is likely the truth of the matter will never be known.

@mathewssonya

#stitch with @Traci Music the phrase “open sesame” does not appear in previous versions of 1001 nights. It was crafted for the 1704 French publication. We know that the word “sesame” refers to the plant for several reasons. One is that in the story the brother gets stuck in the cave and doesn’t remember the magic phrase, so tries a series of other grains and plants instead of “sesame”. #alibaba #athousandandonenights #booktok #etymology #etymologytok #linguisthere #lingtok #opensesame #sesame #translation #themoreyouknow #folketymology

♬ original sound – Sonya