Quenya is the “High-elven” tongue of Middle-earth in J.R.R. Tolkien’s linguistic mythology.
Tolkien based Quenya partly on the sounds and structures of Finnish, Latin, and Greek, while developing it as a language with its own history and grammar. In his fictional history, Quenya was associated especially with the High Elves and with the ancient realm of Valinor.
The language is related to Sindarin, another major Elvish language created by Tolkien. Sindarin became more widely spoken among Elves in Middle-earth, while Quenya often retained a formal, literary, or ceremonial role. The distinction between the two languages is important in both Tolkien’s stories and his linguistic notes.
Quenya is not simply a translation of “Elvish” as a whole. Tolkien invented several Elvish languages and dialects. Westron was the Common Speech, while Adûnaic was associated with Númenor.