What is the difference between "volus"+infinitive and conditional mood?

Question

E.g. the sentences

• mi volus salti.
• mi saltus.

both mean something related to wanting to jump. What is the difference between these two forms?

Answer 1

Mi volus salti only states that I would want to jump, but not that I necessarily would do so.

Mi saltus means that I would jump, not just want to but actually do it (in whatever the context is).

• Mi saltus sur la tegmenton de nubskrapanto por savi vin!
  (I would jump onto the roof of a skyscraper to save you!)
• Se li enirus la ĉambron, mi volus elsalti tra la fenestro!
  (If he entered the room, I'd want to jump out the window!)
• "Sed kion vi farus, se leono aperus nun?" "Kompreneble, mi simple saltus en la aŭton!"
  ("But what would you do, if a lion appeared now?" "Of course, I'd just jump into the car!")
• Se mi estus en la supra etaĝo de brulanta domo, mi certe volus salti tra la fenestro. Sed eble mia fobio de altaĵoj malebligus tion.
  (If I were in the upper story of a burning house, I'd certainly want to jump through the window. But perhaps my fear of heights would prevent that.)

Answer 2

Mi volus salti on its own means "I would like to jump", which is a weaker form of "I want to jump." It suggests either that you probably won't jump, or that your statement is a request that you be allowed to jump. See PMEG for discussion of this use of volus without a condition.

Se mi sidus sur varma forno, mi volus salti means "If I were sitting on a hot stove, I would want to jump."

Mi saltus means "I would jump." Presumably a possible situation has just been mentioned.