Great question Carol V
I'm no Hebrew scholar but I did find something interesting in the use words: The words in question Tounges, Language and Speech used in the two verses do not share the same root Hebrew word (just as you stated)
Gen 10:5 By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his
tongue, after their families, in their nations. Also
(Gen 10:20, Gen 10:32)[03956] lashown
Transliteration: lashown {law-shone'} or lashon {law-shone'}
Word Origin: from 3960
Part of Speech: noun masculine
Usage in the KJV: tongue 98, language 10, bay 3, wedge 2, babbler 1, flame 1, speaker 0376 1, talkers 1
Total: 117
Definition:
tongue
tongue (of men)
tongue (literal)
tongue (organ of speech)
language
tongue (of animals)
tongue (of fire)
wedge, bay of sea (tongue-shaped) [/list:u]
Gen 11:1 And the whole earth was of one
language, and of one
speech.
[08193] saphah
Transliteration:
saphah {saw-faw'} or (in dual and plural) sepheth {sef-eth'}
Word Origin:
probably from 5595 or 8192 through the idea of termination (compare 05490)
Part of Speech:
noun feminine
Usage in the KJV:
lip 112, bank 10, brim 8, edge 8, language 7, speech 6, shore 6, brink 5, border 3, side 3, prating 2, vain 2, misc 4
Total: 176
Definition:
lip, language, speech, shore, bank, brink, brim, side, edge, border, binding
lip (as body part)
language
edge, shore, bank (of cup, sea, river, etc)
========================================================
Speech [01697] dabar
Transliteration:
dabar {daw-baw'}
Word Origin:
from 1696
Part of Speech:
noun masculine
Usage in the KJV:
word 807, thing 231, matter 63, acts 51, chronicles 38, saying 25, commandment 20, misc 204
Total: 1439
Definition:
speech, word, speaking, thing
speech
saying, utterance
word, words
business, occupation, acts, matter, case, something, manner (by extension)[/list:u]
Quite possibly the words had different conetations back then they do today. I tend to agree with CIY, in that the two chapters are speaking of two different times (though I do not think this view is supported in any manuscript)
But I think I remember Ray speaking of something like this before. His question, does it change or nullify the truth? Is the ressurection promise now void? I think these a good questions, for there are many seemingly biblical contradictions, like:
1Sa 17:4 And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named
Goliath, of Gath, whose height [was] six cubits and a span.
1Sa 17:7 And the staff of his spear [was] like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head [weighed] six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him.
1Sa 17:50 So
David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and
slew him; but [there was] no sword in the hand of David. [/list:u]This is in total condratiction to the following:
2Sa 21:19 And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where
Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim, a Bethlehemite, slew
Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear [was] like a weaver's beam
The
[the brother of] Goliath has been added to many modern translations, though not appearing in any manuscript (nor my Hebrew Interlinear)
[/list:u]
I'm not sure if any of this helps, but I do not believe such contradictions change the promise.
With Love,
YellowStone