diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index d3fe2fb..fa82398 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -54,6 +54,9 @@ are no binary releases; "version" tracks the shared `version` in the root build
   forwarded to its `OptionPicker`, so an app with a "help translate" row above
   the languages can drop its own copy of the row. Both default to today's
   behaviour.
+- **`core-locale`** — `relativeTimeAgo(epochMillis, nowMillis, minResolution)`,
+  the platform-localised "5 minutes ago" Calendula's backup and special-dates
+  status lines build through `DateUtils.getRelativeTimeSpanString`.
 
 - **`identity`** — a pure-black (AMOLED) dark theme. `ColorScheme.toPureBlack()`
   sets `background`, `surface`, `surfaceDim` and `surfaceContainerLowest` to
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 821e7ef..ba1f958 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ See [`docs/ARCHITECTURE.md`](docs/ARCHITECTURE.md) for the full consumption mode
 |--------|------|---------------|
 | `core-time` | JVM | Date/time helpers: `DayWindow` local-day windows, locale/zone-aware `Instant` formatting, `TimeBridge` (millis ↔ `Instant`). No Android, no deps. |
 | `core-reminders` | JVM | Reminder-lead plumbing: the lead-time unit model (`ReminderUnit`, `decomposeReminderMinutes`), the per-target override model (`ReminderOverride` + `reminderLeadFor` / `applyReminderOverride`) and the stored-format codec (`ReminderOverrideCodec`, separators configurable per app). Each app layers its own DataStore + string labels on top. |
-| `core-locale` | Android | Everything "what language are we in". Per-app language plumbing (`AppLanguage`): read the shipped languages from the app's `res/xml/locales_config.xml`, get/set the applied language via `AppCompatDelegate`, render each language's autonym. Plus `currentLocale()` (observes the applied language from Compose) and `localizedDateFormatter(locale, skeleton)` (lays a field skeleton out in the locale's own order). The app passes its own `locales_config`. |
+| `core-locale` | Android | Everything "what language are we in". Per-app language plumbing (`AppLanguage`): read the shipped languages from the app's `res/xml/locales_config.xml`, get/set the applied language via `AppCompatDelegate`, render each language's autonym. Plus `currentLocale()` (observes the applied language from Compose) and `localizedDateFormatter(locale, skeleton)` (lays a field skeleton out in the locale's own order) and `relativeTimeAgo(…)` ("5 minutes ago"). The app passes its own `locales_config`. |
 | `core-prefs` | Android | The typed DataStore layer: `Pref<T>` + `PrefStore` (typed read/write, distinct-until-changed flows), `toEnum()` for values that degrade instead of throwing, and the family's shared appearance prefs (`ThemeMode`, `dynamicColor`). The store's name and construction stay with the app. |
 | `core-di` | JVM | The shared DI vocabulary: `@IoDispatcher`, `@DefaultDispatcher`, `@ApplicationScope` and the Hilt module that provides them. |
 | `core-crash` | Android | Privacy-respecting on-device crash capture + report dialog + issue-tracker hand-off. Parameterized per app via `CrashConfig`. |
diff --git a/core-locale/src/main/kotlin/de/jeanlucmakiola/floret/locale/RelativeTime.kt b/core-locale/src/main/kotlin/de/jeanlucmakiola/floret/locale/RelativeTime.kt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..376a724
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core-locale/src/main/kotlin/de/jeanlucmakiola/floret/locale/RelativeTime.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+package de.jeanlucmakiola.floret.locale
+
+import android.text.format.DateUtils
+
+/**
+ * "5 minutes ago" / "in 2 hours" for [epochMillis] relative to [nowMillis], in the
+ * process locale, via the platform's `DateUtils`. Spans shorter than
+ * [minResolution] read as the smallest unit ("0 minutes ago"), so a status line
+ * doesn't tick by the second.
+ *
+ * Needs a real Android runtime, like [localizedDateFormatter].
+ */
+fun relativeTimeAgo(
+    epochMillis: Long,
+    nowMillis: Long = System.currentTimeMillis(),
+    minResolution: Long = DateUtils.MINUTE_IN_MILLIS,
+): String = DateUtils.getRelativeTimeSpanString(epochMillis, nowMillis, minResolution).toString()