What is the Elvish language called Quenya in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth?

Quenya is a High-elven language in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth.

Tolkien based Quenya’s sound and structure chiefly on Finnish, while also drawing on his broader study of historical languages. Within the fictional history, Quenya developed from the speech of the Elves who travelled to Valinor and became associated with the High Elves, especially the Ñoldor and Vanyar.

The language has an important literary and historical role. It appears in names, poems, formal speech, and inscriptions, and Tolkien constructed substantial vocabulary and grammar for it. The name “Quenya” is related to the idea of speech or language and reflects its status as a prestigious tongue.

Quenya is often confused with Sindarin, another major Elvish language. Sindarin became more widely spoken in much of Middle-earth during the later history of the Elves, while Quenya often carried a ceremonial or scholarly status. Neither language is simply “the Elvish language,” because Tolkien created several distinct Elvish tongues.