Re: [tied] Sanskrit form a.s.tau

Piotr didn't say (perhaps took it for granted) that the apparently dual
shape of Skt astau is shared with Greek okto: (-o: regular dual ending)
and apparently with Latin, even though duals have not survived in Latin. cf
the words for "two": duo / duo:

Gothic on the other hand has "two" twai / twa / twos, but "eight" ahtau.

Note that the Skt form quoted (astau) is not the only attested form in Skt:
the simple form asta is also found in nom/voc/acc. Is asta secondary, or is
astau secondary? astau is commonest in the Rgveda, but asta and asta: also
occur there.

Peter