In compiler design, why does semantic analysis follow syntax analysis?

💡 Explanation

Semantic analysis relies on the syntactical structure established by the syntax analyzer because it checks whether the program adheres to the language's rules about meaning. Therefore, type compatibility is verified, rather than optimizing or managing memory which occur in later compilation phases.

• Why does deciphering Linear B script benefit from probabilistic models based on known alphabet structures, rather than relying solely on frequency analysis?
• Why does the neutralization of vowel distinctions frequently occur in unstressed syllables within various languages?
• Why does conceptual metaphor theory predict that understanding abstract concepts like 'argument' often relies on more concrete domains such as 'war'?
• Why does a language acquisition model relying solely on distributional semantics for dictionary creation struggle with polysemous words, even with a large corpus?
• In a dialect continuum across the Iberian Peninsula, which consequence follows if a speaker from Lisbon attempts to communicate with someone from a remote village in the Pyrenees?
• A prelinguistic infant extensively babbles using canonical syllable reduplication (e.g., 'dadada'). If caregivers suddenly cease all contingent responses (smiles, echoing) to these babbling sounds, which consequence follows?