J.R.R. Tolkien created Quenya as an elegant language spoken by many Elves in Middle-earth.
Quenya is one of Tolkien’s best-developed constructed languages. He modeled aspects of its sound and structure on Finnish, while also drawing on his knowledge of Latin, Greek, and other languages. In Tolkien’s mythology, it is associated especially with the High Elves and with the ancient culture of Valinor.
Quenya is not the same as Sindarin. Sindarin became the more commonly used Elvish language in much of Middle-earth during the later history of the stories, while Quenya had an older, more formal and ceremonial role. Tolkien created related linguistic histories for both, rather than inventing isolated lists of words.
The name Quenya is often translated in Tolkien’s linguistic context as relating to speech or language. It is therefore a fictional language with grammar, vocabulary, and historical development, not merely a decorative code used in the novels.