Quenya is J.R.R. Tolkien’s invented language associated with the Noldor and Valinor.
In Tolkien’s legendarium, Quenya originated among the Elves and was especially associated with the Noldor, a people who returned from Valinor to Middle-earth. It was influenced by Tolkien’s study of historical languages, particularly Finnish, Latin, and Greek, while remaining an original constructed language.
Quenya appears in names, poems, formal speech, and historical material across Tolkien’s writings. The name “Quenya” is commonly translated as relating to speech or language. Tolkien developed its grammar, vocabulary, and historical changes over many decades.
Sindarin is the other major Elvish language readers encounter in The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien based its sound and development partly on Welsh, while Quenya has a more Finnish-like sound and structure. The two languages are related within Tolkien’s fictional history but are not interchangeable.