diff --git a/Documentation/git-merge-file.txt b/Documentation/git-merge-file.txt
index 7e9093fab6..bf0a18cf02 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-merge-file.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-merge-file.txt
@@ -11,19 +11,20 @@ SYNOPSIS
 [verse]
 'git merge-file' [-L <current-name> [-L <base-name> [-L <other-name>]]]
 	[--ours|--theirs|--union] [-p|--stdout] [-q|--quiet] [--marker-size=<n>]
-	[--[no-]diff3] <current-file> <base-file> <other-file>
+	[--[no-]diff3] <current> <base> <other>
 
 
 DESCRIPTION
 -----------
-'git merge-file' incorporates all changes that lead from the `<base-file>`
-to `<other-file>` into `<current-file>`. The result ordinarily goes into
-`<current-file>`. 'git merge-file' is useful for combining separate changes
-to an original. Suppose `<base-file>` is the original, and both
-`<current-file>` and `<other-file>` are modifications of `<base-file>`,
+Given three files `<current>`, `<base>` and `<other>`,
+'git merge-file' incorporates all changes that lead from `<base>`
+to `<other>` into `<current>`. The result ordinarily goes into
+`<current>`. 'git merge-file' is useful for combining separate changes
+to an original. Suppose `<base>` is the original, and both
+`<current>` and `<other>` are modifications of `<base>`,
 then 'git merge-file' combines both changes.
 
-A conflict occurs if both `<current-file>` and `<other-file>` have changes
+A conflict occurs if both `<current>` and `<other>` have changes
 in a common segment of lines. If a conflict is found, 'git merge-file'
 normally outputs a warning and brackets the conflict with lines containing
 <<<<<<< and >>>>>>> markers. A typical conflict will look like this:
@@ -36,8 +37,8 @@ normally outputs a warning and brackets the conflict with lines containing
 
 If there are conflicts, the user should edit the result and delete one of
 the alternatives.  When `--ours`, `--theirs`, or `--union` option is in effect,
-however, these conflicts are resolved favouring lines from `<current-file>`,
-lines from `<other-file>`, or lines from both respectively.  The length of the
+however, these conflicts are resolved favouring lines from `<current>`,
+lines from `<other>`, or lines from both respectively.  The length of the
 conflict markers can be given with the `--marker-size` option.
 
 The exit value of this program is negative on error, and the number of
@@ -62,7 +63,7 @@ OPTIONS
 
 -p::
 	Send results to standard output instead of overwriting
-	`<current-file>`.
+	`<current>`.
 
 -q::
 	Quiet; do not warn about conflicts.