What writing system did J.R.R. Tolkien create for languages such as Quenya?

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J.R.R. Tolkien created the Tengwar writing system for languages including Quenya.

Tengwar is an alphabetic script whose letters, called tengwa, represent consonants and whose vowel signs are generally placed above or beside them. Tolkien designed it as part of the internal history of Middle-earth, associating its development with the Elf Fëanor. Different languages could use the script with different conventions.

Tengwar is sometimes confused with Cirth, another Tolkien-created script. Cirth uses angular runic shapes and was especially associated with inscriptions and the Dwarves, while Tengwar has more flowing forms and appears in many famous samples of Elvish writing. Tolkien also created earlier scripts such as Sarati, showing that his interest in invented writing systems extended beyond the scripts most familiar from modern editions and films.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Oct. 2026

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