Quenya is the fictional language Tolkien developed with strong inspiration from Finnish and used prominently in Middle-earth. It is one of the principal Elvish languages in his legendarium.
Tolkien was a philologist, and his invented languages were central to the creation of his fictional world rather than decorative additions made after the stories. Quenya’s sound and grammar were influenced especially by Finnish, while its vocabulary and history were shaped within Tolkien’s own mythology.
In Middle-earth, Quenya is associated with the High Elves and is sometimes called High-elven speech. It is related to Sindarin, another major Elvish language, but the two are distinct. Sindarin became more widely used in daily life among many Elves of Middle-earth, whereas Quenya often carries a formal, literary, or ceremonial status.
Readers may confuse Quenya with Sindarin because both are Elvish languages created by Tolkien. Khuzdul belongs to the Dwarves, and the Black Speech was devised by Sauron for the servants of Mordor.