Can uint8_t be a non-character type?

Question

In this answer and the attached comments, Pavel Minaev makes the following argument that, in C, the only types to which uint8_t can be typedef\'d are char

Answer 1

int8_t and uint8_t differ only by REPRESENTATION and NOT the content(bits). int8_t uses lower 7 bits for data and the 8th bit is to represent "sign"(positive or negative). Hence the range of int8_t is from -128 to +127 (0 is considered a positive value).

uint8_t is also 8 bits wide, BUT the data contained in it is ALWAYS positive. Hence the range of uint8_t is from 0 to 255.

Considering this fact, char is 8 bits wide. unsigned char would also be 8 bits wide but without the "sign". Similarly short and unsigned short are both 16 bits wide.

IF however, "unsigned int" be 8 bits wide, then .. since C isn't too type-nazi, it IS allowed. And why would a compiler writer allow such a thing? READABILITY!