Which fictional language did J.R.R. Tolkien develop for the Elves and name Quenya?

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The fictional language J.R.R. Tolkien developed for the Elves and named Quenya is Quenya.

Quenya is one of Tolkien's principal Elvish languages. He modeled aspects of its sound and structure on languages including Finnish, and he developed vocabulary, grammar, and historical relationships for it over many years. In Tolkien's internal history, Quenya is associated especially with the High Elves.

The language appears in names, poems, inscriptions, and ceremonial speech throughout Tolkien's legendarium. The greeting “Elen síla lúmenn' omentielvo” is one of the best-known Quenya phrases in The Lord of the Rings.

Quenya is often confused with Sindarin, another major Elvish language. Sindarin became the everyday Elvish language of many Elves in Middle-earth, while Quenya had a more formal and historical role there. Khuzdul is the language of the Dwarves, and the Black Speech was created by Sauron for the servants of Mordor.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Oct. 2026

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