Syntax IS decouples from the language. Semantics are where the language is really defined. Unless you run out of symbols, any syntax can be used to express any

Syntax IS decouples from the language. Semantics are where the language is really defined. Unless you run out of symbols, any syntax can be used to express any semantics. However, since syntax is the easiest to see and understand, so too it is most often debated. Talking about a language's semantics is hard.