Quenya is the fictional Elvish language created by J.R.R. Tolkien that is associated with the Eldar and influenced by Finnish.
Tolkien developed Quenya as part of his larger project of constructing languages for the peoples of Middle-earth. He was a philologist, so sound patterns, grammar, and historical relationships were central to his method rather than decorative additions.
Quenya is often described as a prestigious or classical language among Tolkien’s Elves. Sindarin, another major Elvish language, became more widely used in many settings of Middle-earth. This distinction is a common source of confusion because both languages appear in names, poetry, and dialogue.
Tolkien’s interest in Finnish began earlier, when he encountered the Kalevala. Its language and mythology helped inspire aspects of his linguistic and literary imagination, although Quenya remains Tolkien’s own constructed language.