Quenya is the Elvish language created by J.R.R. Tolkien that includes the word Quendi for Elves.
Tolkien developed Quenya as one of the major languages of his fictional Elves. Its sound and structure were influenced especially by Finnish, alongside elements from other languages Tolkien studied. In Middle-earth’s history, Quenya is associated with the high Elves and the ancient west.
The word Quendi is commonly translated as ‘Speakers’ and refers broadly to the Elves. Quenya itself is often described as a prestige or scholarly language by the time of The Lord of the Rings, rather than the everyday speech of every Elf.
Quenya is distinct from Sindarin, another major Elvish language. Sindarin became the more widely spoken Elvish tongue in much of Tolkien’s later setting, while Quenya retained an older, ceremonial status. Tolkien created extensive vocabulary and grammar for both.