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I decided to split this into a thread by itself because I was afraid of
cramming too much into the [first
thread](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/2956/does-v-stem-works-
for-verbs-whose-stems-are-not-stand-alone-words-by-themsel).

Is it true that only movement verbs can take [V-stem]に to express a purpose?

Will it be possible for a non-movement verb to take [V-stem]に to express a
purpose?

For example (let's take a really wild example), could 遊びに食べる even imply
something like _"Eat. Reason: Play."_ / _"Eat your vege, so that you can
play."_
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grammar
Is it true that only movement verbs can take [V-stem]に to express a purpose?
Yes it is true. According to my grammar dictionary, [Verb in 連用形 + に] can only
be used with motion verbs such as `行く`, `来る`, `帰る`, `入る`, `出る` to mean "to
go/come/motion-verb (in order to) do something". The "In order to" becomes
explicit when の為に is used, indicating a rather important purpose.

* * *

Let me try to break down the composition:

>   * Take 遊ぶ as the verb.
>
>   * 遊ぶ in 連用形* yields 遊び (a playing)(Noun)
>
>

>

>> *any verb or い-adjective can become a noun when placed in 連用形. This is
similar to the English concept of "gerund". E.g. `talk` is a verb. `talking`
is also a verb. But in the sentence "Is my `talking` distracting you?"
`talking` here is a noun.

>
>   * `に` as a particle indicates a point of space/time/reasoning.
>

>
> (Compared to `から` which is a half-line with a start point; from a point in
> space/time/reasoning)
>
> (Compared to `まで`, which is the other half-line with an end point;
> terminating at a point in space/time/reasoning)
>
> And let's also take a motion verb:
>
>   * 行く : to go
>

Then let's try to piece it back together:

  * 遊びに (The point of reasoning of "a playing")(Since 遊び is not a time or space)

  * 遊びに行く (To go to the point of reasoning of "a playing")**(More naturally parsed as "To go play")

** because 行く goes towards whatever is marked by に

* * *

Now let's try for your example:

> 遊びに食べる (To eat, at the point of reasoning of "a playing"). It cannot be
> naturally parsed because に does not relate the thing it marks with the verb
> 食べる. Unlike に+motion verb, whatever に marks is directly related to the
> motion verb.

The act of eating has nothing inherent to do with the playing. On the other
hand, moving has an inherent connection to the destination. See sawa's
explanation of に in ["に and で
revisited"](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/2197/and-revisited)
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answer