There are many reasons why C is not a low level language. Take the example: while `asm()` blocks are a common extension to C compilers, anything within the block is (a) compiler dependent and (b) architecture dependent. To choose an extreme counter example: you may as well claim that versions of BASIC with the POKE keyword are low level languages simply because you can POKE machine code directly into memory.
Yet one of the more interesting reasons, in my mind, is that C adds a tonne of abstractions. The roster of data types is one of those abstractions. Processors have a very weak notion of data types, and memory has absolutely no notion of memory types at all. For example: casting a `float` to an `int` has a very specific definition in C, and that definition involves altering the pattern of bits. While you can create a float and force the C compiler to regard that memory location as an int (via casting pointers), it isn't how the language is meant to be used (outside of rare cases).
If I recall correctly, some of the direct predecessors of C were typeless, which is closer to how the CPU and RAM treat data.
Yet one of the more interesting reasons, in my mind, is that C adds a tonne of abstractions. The roster of data types is one of those abstractions. Processors have a very weak notion of data types, and memory has absolutely no notion of memory types at all. For example: casting a `float` to an `int` has a very specific definition in C, and that definition involves altering the pattern of bits. While you can create a float and force the C compiler to regard that memory location as an int (via casting pointers), it isn't how the language is meant to be used (outside of rare cases).
If I recall correctly, some of the direct predecessors of C were typeless, which is closer to how the CPU and RAM treat data.