In Tolkien's introduction to a translation of Beowulf (thank you, HerenIstarion), he writes
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Both [beorn and freca] meant 'warrior', or in heroic poetry 'man'. Or rather both were used for 'warrior' by poets, while beorn was still a form of the word 'bear', and freca a name of the wolf, and they were still used in verse when the original senses were forgotten. To use beorn and freca became a sign that your language was 'poetical", and these words survived, when much else of the ancient diction had perished,
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So it seems pretty clear to me that this character is a product of Tolkien amusing himself with the double meaning of the word, an effect which would be lost if Beorn were not a man. And a bear. Making him related to an Istar doesn't seem to play into this very well.
--Belin Ibaimendi
Edit: When I read this, I realized that it sounded as if I were saying that one of Beorn's parents was a bear and the other a man. This is quite silly and is not what I meant at all. Instead, I think that the distinction between man and bear is simply not being made. Beorn is a very bearish man and a very mannish bear.
[ November 24, 2002: Message edited by: Belin ]