Make Your Point > Archived Issues > RHIZOMATIC
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pronounce
RHIZOMATIC:
Say it "rye zo MAD ick."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
Let's all raise a mug of coffee or tea to Benjamin this morning, who suggested we check out the word rhizomatic.
It's a powerful metaphor, one that I'm excited to share. We can apply it to anything that seems to have a vast network of hidden roots, making it hard for us to _rad__ate it--to rip it out, roots and all.
Can you recall that dramatic verb? Its Latin bits literally mean "to root out," so it's related to words like "radish" and "radical."
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
The word "rhizome" traces back through Latin to the Greek rhiza, meaning "root."
Rhizomes are those long underground stems that some plants have: the kind that grow horizontally, letting the plant sprout up out of the ground in lots of places. Plants that grow this way include iris, ginger, and bamboo.
If you look at a patch of bamboo, you might think it's many separate plants, but it could all be one, connected underground by rhizomes.
That might be great! The plants can spread well, giving you good ground cover.
Or it might be terrible! If you don't want it there, it could be really hard to get rid of.
So, something literally rhizomatic has rhizomes, growing and spreading from under the ground.
And something figuratively rhizomatic has lots of hidden interconnected parts, and is therefore complex, widespread, hardy, and/or hard to kill.
(The word "rhizomatic" has a similar figurative meaning in the field of philosophy, specifically in the works of Gilles Deleuze and and Félix Guattari. Rather than try to summarize their points, I'll just point you to their book, A Thousand Plateaus.)
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Adjective: "a rhizomatic species;" "The cult's growth seems rhizomatic."
Other forms:
Rhizome, rhizomes.
There are a couple alternate adjectives: "rhizomic" (pronounced "rye ZO mick") and "rhizomatous" (pronounced "rye ZOM uh tuss").
As far as I can tell, there's no established adverb. If you need one, I think it's reasonable to use "rhizomatically."
how to use it:
"Rhizomatic" is, I admit, both rare and weird-looking.
On occasion, it may be the exact word you need to describe some idea, trend, belief, attitude, behavior, or habit that seems to grow and spread relentlessly.
You might also talk about rhizomatic paths, directions, progress, growth, connections, systems, etc.
Finally, you could pick "rhizomatic" to describe groups or systems that lack a hierarchical structure. "Pyramid schemes are hierarchical by nature, but all these MLMs seem to pop up rhizomatically."
examples:
"A genealogy of our program would probably look like a big rhizomatic root, as it's now 33 artists strong."
— Gallery owner, quoted by Nate Freeman, Artnet News, 25 October 2021
" As [Ben Chasny's guitar] playing has deepened, he has expanded his practice to incorporate everything from rewired amplifiers to four-track tapes he'd buried in his yard. He's traveled a long way from the starting point of guitar-explorer exemplars like Sir Richard Bishop, over rhizomatic paths both traditional and abstract."
— Brian Howe, Pitchfork, 6 July 2021
has this page helped you understand "rhizomatic"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "rhizomatic" without saying "vastly rooted" or "hydra-headed."
try it out:
On Urban Dictionary, the user Happy Bird observed that "Unlike most conventional media, the Internet today has a rhizomatic character."
Talk about what that means: how is the Internet rhizomatic? Do you think rhizomes are a better or worse metaphor for the Internet than the typical ones (a net or a web)? Why?
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game for this month is Obits Tidbits!
Check out a tidbit from the obituary of an extraordinary person, and see if you can name who it was. To see the answer, scroll all the way down.
From the BBC: "[He claimed] he had not been adequately paid for his work by the Walt Disney studio, joking 'the only reason Mickey Mouse has three fingers is because he can't pick up a cheque.' ... [He] struggled with drug addiction, joking that cocaine was 'God's way of telling you you are making too much money.'"
If you need some hints, highlight the hidden white text below.
This obituary was published on… August 12th, 2014.
This person's initials are… R. W.
review this word:
A. GENTLE.
B. SOLITARY.
C. REGULATED.
2.
Margaret Roach warns that you can't just _____ rhizomatic weeds: to do so "_____."
A. poison .. damages nearby grasses and flowers
B. yank up .. leaves their power hidden underground
C. pour mulch over .. upsets the yard's moisture balance
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
On vocabulary...
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.
From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
Let's all raise a mug of coffee or tea to Benjamin this morning, who suggested we check out the word rhizomatic.
The word "rhizome" traces back through Latin to the Greek rhiza, meaning "root."
Part of speech:
"Rhizomatic" is, I admit, both rare and weird-looking.
"A genealogy of our program would probably look like a big rhizomatic root, as it's now 33 artists strong."
Explain the meaning of "rhizomatic" without saying "vastly rooted" or "hydra-headed."
On Urban Dictionary, the user Happy Bird observed that "Unlike most conventional media, the Internet today has a rhizomatic character."
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. |
