Why machine and assembly language are called low level languages?

Answer 1

Machine code or machine language is a system of instructions and data executed directly by a computer's CPU. Machine code may be regarded as a primitive programming language or as the lowest-level representation of a compiled program.

Assembly languages are used to program microprocessors, micro-controllers and other integrated circuits. They implement a symbolic representation of the numeric machine codes and other constants needed to program a particular CPU architecture.

They are categorized as low level language as they provides little or no abstraction from a computer's instruction set architecture. The word "low" refers to the small or nonexistent amount of abstraction between the language and machine; because of this, low-level languages are sometimes described as being "close to the hardware."

Answer 2

They allow more control over what the computer does. For example allowing control over what memory goes in what registers and when. In most other languages you just write "int i = 3; i++;" and allocating memory for i, setting that value to 3, loading it into the correct register, running the increment command and saving it back in memory is all handled for you. This idea of dealing with the registers in higher level languages has been abstracted out so you don't have to deal with it.

Answer 3

It's because they are the closest to the computer's native language.