Quenya is Tolkien’s invented Elvish language associated with the Valinorean Elves and influenced by Finnish.
Tolkien developed Quenya as a high or classical language of the Elves. Its history within the legendarium connects it especially with the Elves who lived in Valinor, the Blessed Realm. The language’s sound and structure were strongly influenced by Finnish, one of Tolkien’s favorite real-world languages.
Quenya is not interchangeable with Sindarin. Sindarin became the everyday Elvish language of many Elves in Middle-earth, while Quenya often functioned as a formal, literary, or ceremonial language. Both belong to Tolkien’s broader family of Elvish languages.
Tolkien’s interest in language was central to his creative method. He often built histories, peoples, and stories around the development and relationships of languages rather than inventing names as isolated decorations. Quenya therefore has a constructed grammar and vocabulary extending far beyond the phrases quoted in the novels.