"Those types of weapons are more colloquially referred to as "great swords". Depending on its make, however, it may or may not be a German zweihander."

Yes, but in Specialised English (history, smithing, reenactment) it is mostlycalled a bastard sword or longsword. This is based on my own amateur frequency analysis.

In other periods, shorter swords were referred to as longswords because they were longer than the swords people were used to, then, like Ranika said.

I think Zweihander--when used in English--refers mainly to the really big ones with a second crossbar on the blade. There are also German texts about a "Langenschwert" which is used in two hands, but short enough to carry from the belt unlike the Zweihander.

Heh. I don't know a lot. I learned a lot from just asking that question and reading your replies.