J.R.R. Tolkien called Quenya the “high-elven” tongue.
Quenya is one of Tolkien’s constructed languages, developed for the Elves of Middle-earth. It was inspired chiefly by Finnish, with influences from Greek and Latin, and Tolkien created substantial vocabulary, grammar, and historical development for it.
Quenya is associated particularly with the High Elves and with the ancient traditions of Valinor. Sindarin, another major Elvish language, became more widely spoken in many parts of Middle-earth during the later histories. The two languages are related within Tolkien’s fictional linguistic family but are not interchangeable.
Tolkien’s training as a philologist shaped his approach: he built languages historically, allowing sounds and words to change over time. His stories often grew from the languages and names he invented rather than languages being added only after the plot was complete.