diff --git a/core/modules/content_translation/src/FieldTranslationSynchronizer.php b/core/modules/content_translation/src/FieldTranslationSynchronizer.php
index b96bcbbe28..e900c5086c 100644
--- a/core/modules/content_translation/src/FieldTranslationSynchronizer.php
+++ b/core/modules/content_translation/src/FieldTranslationSynchronizer.php
@@ -284,16 +284,17 @@ public function synchronizeItems(array &$values, array $unchanged_items, $sync_l
    *   An item containing the untranslatable properties to be synchronized.
    * @param array $target_item
    *   An item containing the translatable properties to be kept.
-   * @param array $columns
+   * @param string[] $properties
+   *   An array of properties to be synchronized.
    *
    * @return array
    *   A merged item array.
    */
-  protected function createMergedItem(array $source_item, array $target_item, array $columns) {
-    $column_keys = array_flip($columns);
-    $item_columns_to_sync = array_intersect_key($source_item, $column_keys);
-    $item_columns_to_keep = array_diff_key($target_item, $column_keys);
-    return $item_columns_to_sync + $item_columns_to_keep;
+  protected function createMergedItem(array $source_item, array $target_item, array $properties) {
+    $property_keys = array_flip($properties);
+    $item_properties_to_sync = array_intersect_key($source_item, $property_keys);
+    $item_properties_to_keep = array_diff_key($target_item, $property_keys);
+    return $item_properties_to_sync + $item_properties_to_keep;
   }
 
   /**