What name does J.R.R. Tolkien give to the language created by the Elves of Valinor and associated with the Noldor?

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The language created by the Elves of Valinor and associated with the Noldor is Quenya.

Quenya is one of Tolkien’s most developed Elvish languages. He based aspects of its sound and structure especially on Finnish, while also drawing on his broader knowledge of historical linguistics. In Tolkien’s internal history, Quenya developed among the Elves who lived in Valinor and was carried back to Middle-earth by the Noldor.

Quenya remained important as a language of lore, ceremony, poetry, and formal names. It was not generally the everyday speech of most Elves in late Third-Age Middle-earth. Sindarin filled that more widely spoken role in many Elven communities.

Quenya is sometimes called High-elven or High-elvish speech. It should not be confused with Westron, the Common Speech used by many peoples, or Khuzdul, the secret language of the Dwarves. Tolkien’s languages were designed with historical relationships and sound changes, rather than being simple lists of invented words.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Oct. 2026

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