Longsword

A longsword (also spelled as long sword or long-sword) is a type of European sword characterized as having a cruciform hilt with a grip for primarily two-handed use (around 15 to 30 cm or 6 to 12 in), a straight double-edged blade of around 80 to 110 cm (31 to 43 in), and weighing approximately 2 to 3 kg (4 lb 7 oz to 6 lb 10 oz).

The "longsword" type exists in a morphological continuum with the medieval knightly sword and the Renaissance-era Zweihänder. It was prevalent during the late medieval and Renaissance periods (approximately 1350 to 1550), with early and late use reaching into the 11th and 17th centuries.

The longsword has many names in the English language, which, aside from variant spellings, include terms such as "bastard sword" and "hand-and-a-half sword." Of these, "bastard sword" is the oldest, its use being contemporaneous with the weapon's heyday.

The French épée bâtarde and the English "bastard sword" originate in the 15th or 16th century, originally in the general sense of "irregular sword, sword of uncertain origin", but by the mid-16th century could refer to exceptionally large swords. The "Masters of Defence" competition organised by Henry VIII in July 1540 listed two handed sword and bastard sword as two separate items. It is uncertain whether the same term could still be used to other types of smaller swords, but antiquarian usage in the 19th century established the use of "bastard sword" as referring unambiguously to these large swords.

The term "hand-and-a-half sword" is relatively modern (from the late 19th century); this name was given because the balance of the sword made it usable in one hand, as well as two. During the first half of the 20th century, the term "bastard sword" was also used regularly to refer to this type of sword, while "long sword" (or "long-sword"), if used at all, referred to the rapier (in the context of Renaissance or Early Modern fencing).

Another name originating from the 19th century is "broadsword," which grew out of comparisons of the blade to more slender swords. This name is common in non-expert literature, where it often refers generically to any medieval sword. However, it more properly—and historically—refers to the basket-hilted swords of the 18th century.

Contemporary use of "long-sword" or "longsword" only resurfaced in the 2000s in the context of reconstruction of the German school of fencing, translating the German langes schwert. Prior to this the term "long sword" merely referred to any sword with a long blade; 'long' being simply an adjective rather than a classification.

Historical (15th to 16th century) terms for this type of sword included Portuguese espada-de-armas, estoque or espada de duas mãos for the version with longer handle used exclusively with both hands; Spanish espadón, montante, or mandoble, Italian spada longa (lunga) or spada due mani (Bolognese), and Middle French passot. The Scottish Gaelic claidheamh mòr means "great sword"; anglicised as claymore, it came to refer to a large Scottish type of longsword with a V–shaped crossguard. Historical terminology overlaps with that applied to the Zweihänder sword in the 16th century: French espadon, Spanish espadón, or Portuguese montante may also be used more narrowly to refer to these large swords. The French épée de passot may also refer to a medieval single-handed sword optimized for thrusting.