Using The Purpose Clause In A Sentence

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The Klingon Dictionary, on section 6.2.4, describes how to use the purpose clause.

If an action is being done in order to accomplish something, or for the purpose of accomplishing something, the verb describing what is to be accomplished ends with the Type 9 suffix -meH, which may be translated for, for the purpose of, in order to.

The purpose clause always precedes the noun or verb whose purpose it is describing ... The second of two identical nouns may be replaced by a pronoun or, if the context is clear, left out altogether.

maQapmeH maSuv	in order to win / so as to succeed
SuyInmeH peSuv; SuSuvmeH peyIn	Live to fight; fight to live!
So'bogh loD nejmeH be' chut bIvta' be'	The woman broke the law to seek the hiding man
So'bogh loD nejmeH chut bIvta'	She broke the law to seek the hiding man
Hub veH wIchermeH wa'DIch naDev wIngIvnIS	We must patrol hereabouts in order to establish a defence perimeter
jaghpu'Daj SuvmeH SuvwI' reH HoS'eghnISmoH SuvwI'	A warrior must always build up his strength in order to fight his enemies
jaghpu'Daj SuvmeH SuvwI' reH HoS'eghnISmoH	A warrior must always build up his strength in order to fight his enemies
HoSchem leHmeH yIntaghvo' HoS ngIpnISta' jonwI''a'	The Chief Engineer had to draw power from life support in order to maintain the force field

Of course, -meH turns up in one of the most famous Klingon sayings:-

Heghlu'meH QaQ jajvam

It is a good day to die

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The Purpose Clause: -meH

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(Edit: This is the 100th post to this blog.)

The Purpose Clause

Klingon uses another Type 9 verb suffix to mark another kind of clause: the purpose clause, or so as to or in order to. This is the suffix -meH.

-meH purpose clause marker

This suffix is used when you want to say that you are doing something in order to or so as to achieve something else. Sometimes you don't need the "in order" part in English - but -meH is always mandatory in tlhIngan Hol.

Qap	win, function, succeed
QapmeH	in order to win / so as to succeed
jagh luHoH	they kill the enemy
jagh luHoHmeH	(in order for them) to kill the enemy
So'bogh loD nej	she seeks the hiding man
So'bogh loD nejmeH	(in order) to seek the hiding man
chaw'	allow, permit
chaw'meH	in order to allow
cher	establish, set up
chermeH	in order to establish
Suv	fight
SuvmeH	in order to fight
leH	maintain
leHmeH	so as to maintain
Dub	improve
DubmeH	in order to improve
ghoch	track down
ghochmeH	so as to track down

Next time: Using -meH in a sentence.

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