It's not Quenya however. It's Sindarin, and yes its grammar and general pronunciation is more strongly based on Welsh and Celtic languages. The Sindar elves inhabited what is now Western Europe. Their last bastion being Britain and Ireland before they all eventually left for Valinor.
In the movie, notice how Arwen's father and her people were leaving? They were leaving for Valinor in Calacirya ('ships of light'), their time in Middle-Earth (Endor, the old World)) being 'done'. Bilbo and Frodo also left on an invitation to Valinor at the end of the trilogy. Valinor is based on the Avalon legends, and the Calacirya are, you guessed it, spaceships. :)
The elves were leaving because as humans grow more numerous they will eventually fade away. Elves do not die naturally (unless of course killed in battle or something), instead they fade away or seek out Valinor. That's the reason why Arwen staying behind was a huge sacrifice on her part. She was nearly 3000 years old, and she could have lived forever but by staying with Aragorn she was condemning herself to eventual death.
Anyway Sindarin is the most human-like of all the Elvish languages. And the farthest removed from the original tongue. It separates words more, for example, like English. Quenya, on the other hand, prefers to agglutinate words, so that an entire sentence in English can become a single word in Quenya, much like modern Finnish or older Latin. In fact Quenya should have sounded more like Spanish/Modern Languages when spoken. Hence Sauron is not 'Saw-rawn' rhyming with paw and lawn but 'Sau-rron' (Elves roll their R's, orcs swallow theirs like modern English) rhyming with Cow and Ton, I think an LOTR actor mispronounces it (Saruman, I think?).
Also I would have loved to hear an Enya rendition of the most famous Quenya poem though, Namarie ('Farewell').
SÃ man i yulma nin enquantuva?
Who now shall refill the cup for me?
An sà Tintallë Varda Oiolossëo
For now the Kindler, Varda, the Queen of the stars,
ve fanyar máryat Elentári ortanë
from Mount Everwhite has uplifted her hands like clouds
ar ilyë tier undulávë lumbulë
and all paths are drowned deep in shadow;
ar sindanóriello caita mornië
and out of a grey country darkness lies
i falmalinnar imbë met,
on the foaming waves between us,
ar hÃsië untúpa Calaciryo mÃri oialë.
and mist covers the jewels of Calacirya for ever.
Sà vanwa ná, Rómello vanwa, Valimar!
Now lost, lost to those of the East is Valimar!
Namárië! Nai hiruvalyë Valimar!
Farewell! Maybe thou shalt find Valimar!
Nai elyë hiruva! Namárië!
Maybe even thou shalt find it! Farewell!
It's not Quenya however. It's Sindarin, and yes its grammar and general pronunciation is more strongly based on Welsh and Celtic languages. The Sindar elves inhabited what is now Western Europe. Their last bastion being Britain and Ireland before they all eventually left for Valinor.
In the movie, notice how Arwen's father and her people were leaving? They were leaving for Valinor in Calacirya ('ships of light'), their time in Middle-Earth (Endor, the old World)) being 'done'. Bilbo and Frodo also left on an invitation to Valinor at the end of the trilogy. Valinor is based on the Avalon legends, and the Calacirya are, you guessed it, spaceships. :)
The elves were leaving because as humans grow more numerous they will eventually fade away. Elves do not die naturally (unless of course killed in battle or something), instead they fade away or seek out Valinor. That's the reason why Arwen staying behind was a huge sacrifice on her part. She was nearly 3000 years old, and she could have lived forever but by staying with Aragorn she was condemning herself to eventual death.
Anyway Sindarin is the most human-like of all the Elvish languages. And the farthest removed from the original tongue. It separates words more, for example, like English. Quenya, on the other hand, prefers to agglutinate words, so that an entire sentence in English can become a single word in Quenya, much like modern Finnish or older Latin. In fact Quenya should have sounded more like Spanish/Modern Languages when spoken. Hence Sauron is not 'Saw-rawn' rhyming with paw and lawn but 'Sau-rron' (Elves roll their R's, orcs swallow theirs like modern English) rhyming with Cow and Ton, I think an LOTR actor mispronounces it (Saruman, I think?).
Also I would have loved to hear an Enya rendition of the most famous Quenya poem though, Namarie ('Farewell').
Ai! laurië lantar lassi súrinen, Ah! like gold fall the leaves in the wind, yéni únótimë ve rámar aldaron! long years numberless as the wings of trees! Yéni ve lintë yuldar avánier The long years have passed like swift draughts mi oromardi lissë-miruvóreva of the sweet mead in lofty halls Andúnë pella, Vardo tellumar beyond the West, beneath the blue vaults of Varda nu luini yassen tintilar i eleni wherein the stars tremble ómaryo airetári-lÃrinen. in the voice of her song, holy and queenly.