Quenya is the Elvish language created by J.R.R. Tolkien that is often called the language of the Eldar.
Within Tolkien's linguistic history, Quenya is associated especially with the High Elves and with the languages of Valinor. Tolkien developed its vocabulary, grammar, and historical relationships over many years, drawing inspiration from languages including Finnish, Latin, and Greek while creating an original system.
Quenya is not the same as Sindarin, another major Elvish language in Tolkien's fiction. Sindarin became the commonly spoken Elvish language of many Elves in Middle-earth during the later ages, whereas Quenya retained a more elevated and ceremonial status in many contexts.
Tolkien's invented languages were not decorative word lists. He created sound patterns, grammatical structures, and historical changes, then built peoples and stories around them. The relationship between Quenya and Sindarin reflects his interest in how real languages evolve and divide. Published forms of Quenya remain incomplete compared with a natural language, because Tolkien left many linguistic papers in varying stages of development.