Quenya is the Tolkien language known as the High-elven language. Tolkien developed it primarily from Finnish and other linguistic influences, giving it a structured grammar, vocabulary, and history.
Within Tolkien’s fictional history, Quenya was associated with the Elves of Aman and with the Ñoldor who returned to Middle-earth. It remained a prestigious, literary, and ceremonial language even after Sindarin became more widely spoken among many Elves in Middle-earth.
Quenya appears in names, poetry, songs, and formal expressions throughout Tolkien’s legendarium. Familiar examples include Eärendil and the greeting “Elen síla lúmenn’ omentielvo,” translated as “A star shines on the hour of our meeting.”
Sindarin is the main alternative readers often confuse with Quenya. Both are Elvish languages, but they have different histories and sound patterns. Khuzdul belongs to the Dwarves, while the Black Speech was created for the servants of Mordor.