Quenya is Tolkien’s invented Elvish language commonly associated with the High Elves. Within the mythology, it developed from the speech of the Eldar and was especially connected with the Elves who reached Aman, including the Noldor and Vanyar.
Tolkien designed Quenya with strong inspiration from Finnish, while also drawing on the historical development of real languages. It has its own vocabulary, grammar, sound patterns, and writing systems in Tolkien’s broader linguistic work. In Middle-earth’s later history, Quenya often functions as a formal, ceremonial, or literary language rather than the everyday speech of most Elves.
Sindarin is the most important neighboring Elvish language and is more commonly used in many Third Age settings. The two names are therefore easy to confuse. Quenya is also sometimes called High-elven or Valinorean, while Sindarin is associated especially with the Sindar and the languages of Beleriand and later Middle-earth.