Quenya is the language J.R.R. Tolkien associated with the ancient, formal tongue of the Elves.
Quenya was one of Tolkien’s principal Elvish languages and was inspired partly by the sound and structure of Finnish, along with elements from other languages. In the history of Middle-earth, it was associated especially with the High Elves and with the Elves who lived in Valinor. It retained a prestigious, literary status even when Sindarin became more widely spoken in parts of Middle-earth.
Names such as Eärendil, Galadriel, and Númenor draw on Tolkien’s constructed-language work, although names can have complex histories and forms. Quenya also appears in ceremonial phrases, poems, and titles throughout the legendarium.
Sindarin is the most important neighboring Elvish language and is often confused with Quenya. Tolkien developed both languages extensively, but they represent different historical traditions within his fictional world.