If syntax mattered that much, CMake would have opted for SOME VARIABLE = SOME VALUE. But... they went for set(SOME_VARIABLE "SOME VALUE") instead. I don't know why.

Syntax-wise C is fine. I personally have a soft spot for Rebol's "syntax free" approach, but the world prefers C. Five out of ten TIOBE's most popular languages have C-like syntax.

And you're right that the perception of C comes from the usage of C. Of course it does. But this creates the vicious cycle, the cycle things like Pnut are trying to break.