Isengrim Took II

The correct pronunciation of the initial i in Isengrim is unclear. In Old English, the root word was īsen, with a long initial vowel, so the pronunciation would be something like eisen, the German word for 'iron' (that is, starting with a vowel sound equivalent to the English word 'eye'). Since Isengrim's name lacks a macron to emphasise a long vowel, however, a short 'i' (as in whizz) might be preferred instead. An argument could be made for either of these approaches.

In Old English grim has a meaning much stronger than its modern usage. It implied fierceness, or even savagery or blood-thirstiness, so Isengrim 'iron grim' would originally have been a warrior's name. Historically, the name Isengrim appears in medieval literature, where it belongs to a greedy and foolish Wolf in various beast fables; this may have been the ultimate source from which Tolkien selected the name.