Quenya (Q.) or Elder Speech was both the language of the High-Elves and the most archaic form of the Elvish Languages. It's earliest form was known as Kwenya, Kwendya or Primitive Quendian while the later spelling Quenya usually only referred to the High-Eldarin or Valinorean dialects of Aman.
Of Valinorean Quenya the Noldorin and Vanyarin dialects were quite close while Noldorin was a bit more harsh (being influenced by Auleän) in sound and Vanyarin having taken more influences from Valarin. Falmarin was more removed from Valinorean and closer to the original Telerin strain of elvish.
Genealogy[]
- Primitive Quendian (Kwendya)
- Archaic Avarin (Kwênja)
- Common Eldarin
- Common Telerin
- Archaic Noldorin and Vanyarin
- Valinorian Quenya
- Vanyarin
- Ingweqenya (dialect of the royal house or Inwir)
- Old Noldorin
- Kornoldorin or Korolambë (Valinorean Noldorin)
- Exilic Noldorin
- Fëanorian dialect or dialect of East-Beleriand
- Gondolindrin
- Orthinian
- Dialects of Mithrim, Nargothrond and Himring
- Arctic
- Loremaster-Speech of Númenór and Gondor
- Mulanoldorin or Thrall-Noldorin
- Fëanorian dialect or dialect of East-Beleriand
- Vanyarin
- Valinorian Quenya
Outer information[]
Tolkien's Quenya is thought to have been mainly inspired by Finnish and Latin, although is also has some characteristics of Anglo-Saxon, Gothic and Arabic.