According to Peter H. Salus and Paul B. Taylor, the Old Norse  ('Edge-Servant') is a descriptive agnomen derived from his function as the arouser of the jötnar and wolves to battle during Ragnarök.
ɐkˈoːɹdɪŋ tə pˈiːɾɚɹ ˈeɪtʃ. sˈæləs ænd pˈɔːl bˈiː. tˈeɪlɚ, ðɪ ˈoʊld nˈɔːɹs ˈɛdʒsˈɜːvənt ɪz ɐ dᵻskɹˈɪptɪv ˈæɡnoʊmˌɛn dᵻɹˈaɪvd fɹʌm hɪz fˈʌŋkʃən æz ðɪ ɚɹˈaʊsɚɹ ʌvðə jˈɜːtnɑːɹ ænd wˈʊlvz tə bˈæɾəl dˈʊɹɹɪŋ ɹˈæɡnɑːɹɹˌɜːk.