verließ

Verließ is a form or term in German that can refer to more than one meaning depending on capitalization and context.

As a verb form, verließ is the simple past (Präteritum) of the verb verlassen, meaning to leave, depart, or abandon. It is used in narrative past and typically appears in written prose. Conjugation of verlassen in the Präteritum includes: ich verließ, du verließt, er verließ, wir verließen, ihr verließt, sie verließen. Example: Er verließ das Gebäude um acht Uhr. In spoken German, the Perfekt (ich habe verlassen) is often used instead in everyday speech.

As a noun, Verlies (capitalized) refers to a dungeon or prison, especially in historical or literary contexts. It denotes a subterranean or confinement space found in castles, monasteries, or old fortifications. The standard plural is Verliese. In modern everyday language, words such as Kerker or Gefängnis are more common for “prison,” while Verlies typically appears in historical writing, fantasy literature, or descriptive prose about medieval settings. Example: Das Verlies der Burg war feucht und dunkel.

Distinctive features and usage notes:

- Verließ (lowercase v) is the verb form in the Präteritum; Verlies (uppercase V) is a noun meaning dungeon.

- The noun is considered somewhat archaic or literary in contemporary German, often used for effect in fiction or historical narration.

- English equivalents: verließ = "left" or "abandoned"; Verlies = "dungeon" or "cellar" depending on context.

Overall, verließ functions as a verb form in past tense, while Verlies is a historical or literary noun for a dungeon.