Finnish was a major inspiration for J.R.R. Tolkien’s fictional language Quenya. Tolkien admired Finnish grammar and sound patterns, and Finnish helped shape Quenya’s structure and vocabulary.
Quenya is one of the Elvish languages Tolkien developed for his legendarium. It is associated especially with the High Elves and is often compared within the stories to a formal or classical language. Tolkien did not simply copy Finnish: he created an independent language with its own history, grammar, vocabulary, and relationship to other Elvish tongues.
Welsh also influenced Tolkien, particularly the sound and style of Sindarin, another major Elvish language. This distinction causes a common mix-up: Finnish is especially associated with Quenya, while Welsh is often linked with Sindarin. Tolkien’s professional study of language and his lifelong interest in philology made constructed languages central to both his world-building and storytelling.