As a man interested in programming, I must ask if there is a cataloged hierarchy of languages. I'd like to learn to actually understand what's happening- that is to say, I don't want to use a compiler until I understand what a compiler does and how to make my own. I really do want to start from total scratch.

I'm told that means "machine code"? I don't know. What I do know is that "C++" is not the start. I'm not interested in learning that until I can actually break software down to its very base and see how the pieces go together.