diff --git a/Documentation/pretty-formats.txt b/Documentation/pretty-formats.txt
index 02bec23509..8cc1072196 100644
--- a/Documentation/pretty-formats.txt
+++ b/Documentation/pretty-formats.txt
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ The placeholders are:
 '%w([<w>[,<i1>[,<i2>]]])':: switch line wrapping, like the -w option of
 			    linkgit:git-shortlog[1].
 '%<( <N> [,trunc|ltrunc|mtrunc])':: make the next placeholder take at
-				  least N columns, padding spaces on
+				  least N column widths, padding spaces on
 				  the right if necessary.  Optionally
 				  truncate at the beginning (ltrunc),
 				  the middle (mtrunc) or the end
@@ -155,18 +155,18 @@ The placeholders are:
 				  N columns.
 				  Note 1: that truncating
 				  only works correctly with N >= 2.
-				  Note 2: spaces around the N
+				  Note 2: spaces around the N and M (see below)
 				  values are optional.
-'%<|( <N> )':: make the next placeholder take at least until Nth
-	     columns, padding spaces on the right if necessary
-'%>( <N> )', '%>|( <N> )':: similar to '%<( <N> )', '%<|( <N> )' respectively,
+'%<|( <M> )':: make the next placeholder take at least until Mth
+	     display column, padding spaces on the right if necessary
+'%>( <N> )', '%>|( <M> )':: similar to '%<( <N> )', '%<|( <M> )' respectively,
 			but padding spaces on the left
-'%>>( <N> )', '%>>|( <N> )':: similar to '%>( <N> )', '%>|( <N> )'
+'%>>( <N> )', '%>>|( <M> )':: similar to '%>( <N> )', '%>|( <M> )'
 			  respectively, except that if the next
 			  placeholder takes more spaces than given and
 			  there are spaces on its left, use those
 			  spaces
-'%><( <N> )', '%><|( <N> )':: similar to '%<( <N> )', '%<|( <N> )'
+'%><( <N> )', '%><|( <M> )':: similar to '%<( <N> )', '%<|( <M> )'
 			  respectively, but padding both sides
 			  (i.e. the text is centered)