Linking review question: meaning of format="ditamap"

There was a comment in the review of the linking content, in the @format topic: “I couldn't follow the logic of this sentence. Probably me, but it seems circular.”
I think the sentence in question is the one highlighted in the following screen capture: We can remove the sentence, of course.
If we need to rephrase it, we’ll need help.
I think what was intended to be communicated was: A <topicref format=”ditamap”> resolves to a hierarchy of topic references (and maybe a relationship table).
That “hierarchy of topic references” is effectively inserted [crappy wording choice] at the point in the map where the <topicref format=”ditamap”> is located.
Best, Kris