might have died

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navi tasan

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Nov 19, 2002
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Persian
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United States
[FONT=&quot]1) In those days, if people got this illness, they might die.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]2) In those days, if people got this illness, they might have died.

Is there any difference in the meanings of these sentences?

I think they mean the same, but in general 'might have' means that the thing spoken of didn't happen. Here. it seems to mean that in some cases it did happen.

Gratefully,
Navi[/FONT]
 
In 2), they survived, which makes it a bit odd because you want to know who they were or why they didn't die. I'd use the first.
 
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