In the dictionary of V. I.

Dal, the name Kashchei is derived from the verb "cast" - to harm, to dirty:
"probably from the word to cast, but remade into koshchei, from bone, meaning a man exhausted
by excessive thinness". Vasmer notes that the word koshchei has two meanings that have
different etymologies: "thin, skinny person, walking skeleton" or "miser" - the origin of the word
"bone". Old Russian "youth, boy, captive, slave" from the Turkic košči "slave", in turn from koš
"camp, parking lot".
Koschei, as the name of the hero of a fairy tale and as a designation for a skinny person, Max
Vasmer in his dictionary considers the original Slavic word (homonym) and associates with the
word bone (common Slavic * kostь), that is, it is an adjective form koštіі (nominative adjective in
the nominative case singular), declining according to the type "God". Numerous variant names
and spellings have been given to Koschei – these include Kashchei, Koshchai, Kashshei,
Kovshei, Kosh, Kashch, Kashel, Kostei, Kostsei, Kashshui, Kozel, Koz'olok, Korachun, Korchun
bessmertnyi, Kot bezsmertnyi, Kot Bezmertnyi, Kostii bezdushnyi; in bylinas he also appears as
[9]
Koshcheiushko, Koshcheg, Koshcherishcho, Koshchui, Koshel. Kachtcheï is the standard
French transliteration.
The term Koshey appears in Slavic chronicles as early as the 12th century to refer to an officer or
official during a military campaign. Similar terms include the Ukrainian Кошовий (Koshovyi) for
[10]
the head of the 'Kish' (military) (see also Kish otaman.) In Old Russian 'Kosh' means a camp,
while in Belarusian a similar term means 'to camp' and in Turkic languages a similar term means
[11]
'a wanderer'. The use as a personal name is recorded as early as the 15th century on
[12]
Novogrodian birch bark manuscripts.
In The Tale of Igor's Campaign a similar sounding term is used, recorded being inscribed on
coins, deriving from the Turkic for 'captive' or 'slave'. The same term also appears in the Ipatiev
[13]
Chronicle, meaning 'captive'. A second mention of the term is made in The Tale of Igor's
Campaign when Igor is captured by the Polovtsi; this event is recorded as a riddle: "And here
[14]
Prince Igor exchanged his golden saddle of a prince for the saddle of a Koshey (slave)."
Nikolai Novikov also suggested the etymological origin of koshchii meaning "youth" or "boy" or
"captive", "slave", or "servant". The interpretation of "captive" is interesting because Koschei
[12]
appears initially as a captive in some tales.