Quenya is the fictional Elvish language spoken by many High Elves in J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendarium.
Tolkien based Quenya’s sound and structure especially on Finnish, while also drawing on his broad knowledge of historical languages. Within the mythology, Quenya developed from the speech of the Eldar and was associated with the Elves who lived in Valinor and later returned to Middle-earth.
Quenya is not the same as Sindarin. Sindarin became the everyday Elvish language of many Elves in Middle-earth, whereas Quenya often had a more formal, literary, or ceremonial role. Tolkien sometimes described Quenya as an ancient or “High-elven” tongue.
The language appears in names, poems, songs, and titles such as Eärendil, Galadriel’s names, and the greeting “Elen síla lúmenn’ omentielvo.” Tolkien’s invented languages were central to his world-building rather than decorative word lists.