Quenya is the Elvish language most associated with J.R.R. Tolkien’s high elves.
Tolkien created Quenya as part of his lifelong work in invented languages. He based much of its sound and structure on his knowledge of historical languages, especially Finnish, while also developing its grammar, vocabulary, and literary history within the mythology of Arda.
In Tolkien’s fiction, Quenya is connected with the Eldar and the Elves who reached Valinor. It functions as a prestigious, ancient language, comparable in cultural status to Latin in parts of European history. The language appears in names, poems, formal speech, and inscriptions across Tolkien’s writings.
Quenya is often confused with Sindarin, another major Elvish language. Sindarin became the everyday Elvish language of many Elves in Middle-earth, while Quenya retained a more elevated and traditional role. Tolkien continued revising both languages, so their forms can vary across drafts and publications.