J.R.R. Tolkien’s early invented language for his mythology was called Qenya. He began developing it in the 1910s, drawing heavily on Finnish while also incorporating ideas from other languages he studied.
Tolkien later changed the spelling to Quenya. In his mythology, Quenya became the language associated especially with the High Elves, including the Noldor and Vanyar. It is one of the best-documented languages Tolkien created, with vocabulary, grammar, and historical changes developed across decades.
Quenya is not the same language as Sindarin, although both are major Elvish languages in Tolkien’s legendarium. Sindarin became the everyday Elvish language of many Elves in Middle-earth, while Quenya often carried a more formal, historical, or ceremonial role.
Tolkien’s languages were not simple word lists. He designed sound systems, grammatical structures, and relationships between languages, treating linguistic evolution as part of the fictional history of his world.