When does a specific term in an oath carry a general meaning, and vice versa?

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The use of a specific term can encompass a general meaning, as evidenced by Quranic verses using terms like Qitmr (date stone covering), Fatil (thread in the date pit), and Naqeer (dot on the date stone) to negate absolutely anything, and the saying of Al-Hutay'ah referring to a tribe using a plural term referring to an individual. Conversely, a general term can refer to a specific meaning, as seen in Quranic references where 'the people' refers to a single man or Abu Sufyan, or the statement that something 'destroys everything' without meaning the heavens and the earth.