J.R.R. Tolkien created Quenya as an Elvish language associated with the Elves of Valinor. In Tolkien’s mythology, Quenya developed from the speech of the Elves who journeyed west and lived in the Blessed Realm.
Tolkien based Quenya’s sound and structure partly on Finnish, while also drawing on his wider study of historical languages. It was not merely a list of invented words: Tolkien worked on its grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and internal history over many years.
Quenya is often described as a ceremonial or scholarly language in Middle-earth, especially among the High Elves. Sindarin, another major Elvish language, was more widely used in many parts of Middle-earth during the period covered by The Lord of the Rings.
The distinction between Quenya and Sindarin is a common source of mix-ups. Both are Elvish languages, but they have different histories and roles. Tolkien continued revising his invented languages throughout his life, so published linguistic evidence is extensive but not always complete.