The conditional is built on the imperfect conjugation of haber, so it had the same m/t merger. The singular imperfect endings likewise depended on an m/s/t contrast. For example, the singular forms of the present subjunctive of Latin cantare were cantem, cantes, and cantet, but the final -m and -t were lost. In Latin, all these verb forms had a six-way contrast, but the contrast between 1st and 3rd singular was lost in Spanish because it depended on a final consonant in the Latin form that was lost in the transition to Spanish. This difference is certainly striking, but seems to be a mere historical artifact. I hope you got my direct email in which I said “hello” back and promised you a later answer to your question.
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