> You can't compile the code of scripting languages

Of course you can. Compiling is a process that takes some code as input and produces other code as output. The output code doesn't have to be at a lower level of abstraction (like assembly or machine code).

A compiler that produces code at the same level on abstraction (eg. going from TypeScript to JavaScript, or newer JS to ES3 JS) is often called a "transpiler" but a transpiler is just a type of compiler, and it's totally valid to call it such.

You can use all the fancy terms for the mangling and intentional obfuscation of crappy code that you want. Sure, you might think that minification is a valid use for such tools, but really, there is no alternative to just sitting down and writing the right code so that it may eventually become a standard thing, and so we won't need to keep reinventing the wheel over and over again.

I know of what I speak. I am in the process of turning the world of web development upside down with Linux on the Web (https://dev.lotw.xyz/desk.os).