J.R.R. Tolkien developed Quenya with Finnish as one of its principal linguistic inspirations.
Quenya is one of Tolkien’s constructed languages for the Elves of Middle-earth. Its sound patterns and grammar were strongly influenced by Finnish, a language Tolkien studied and admired. Quenya also incorporates elements from other languages and from Tolkien’s own linguistic inventions, so it is not simply Finnish with altered vocabulary.
Tolkien was a philologist, meaning that he studied the historical development and structure of languages. He often created languages first and then imagined the peoples, histories, and myths that would use them. Quenya became associated especially with the High Elves and was given an elevated, ancient status within Tolkien’s fictional history.
Welsh is another important influence on Tolkien’s invented languages, particularly Sindarin. This creates a frequent source of confusion: Finnish is most closely associated with Quenya, while Welsh is often linked with Sindarin. Tolkien’s approach made language central to Middle-earth rather than treating invented speech as a decorative feature.