How are programming languages made? I mean, clearly, the languages are translated into something raw that a computer can understand, I'm assuming binary. But how on earth did someone come about making ifs and elses and fors etc. How on earth did someone come up with a programming language?

trough 0's and 1's :)

if you had 4 0's and 4 1's that kinda means "electricity can't go this 4 ways but can got this 4 ways" and so on..
that's how binary sys. was invented. anyway, my actual knowledge reaches to the beginning of assembly and C.
there's lots of electronics involved here (which i hate) and low level laguages (which are user-unfriendly, at least).

but the thought that started it all is - 0 = you can't go here, 1 = you can go here.
and combinations arose... :)

assembler anyone? :D