Cotton-eyed Joe, Cotton-eyed Joe, He was de nig dat sarved me so,…1925, Dorothy Scarborough, assisted By Ola Lee Quiledge, On The Trail of Negro Folk-Songs-online book. A collection of negro folk songs with lyrics, sheet music & commentaries, Traditionalmusic.co.uk, pages 69–70:
‘When a few wild nigs come in he must ‘educate’ the most intelligent looking; they will come in handy.’1937, Ion L. Idriess, Over the Range, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, published 1947, page 216:
3 more examples
He always thought one step ahead of the nigs.1959, Don Robertson, The three days:
In a field near the house was a nigger working a poor old broken-down mule and another nigger sowing wheat. When we came up, both nigs quit work and stared at us.1961, Robert Hale Strong, A Yankee private's Civil War:
What part did she play in your marrying a nig — a black man — nig, nig — Negro?1967, Frank Hercules, I want a black doll:
2
Abbreviation, Clipping Clipping of nigga (“friend, fellow black person”).
African-American Vernacular
Take Blow, my room dawg and fraternity brother from back in the college days. He's a real smoove nig, curly haired handsome, and got mad chick appeal.2009, Mary B. Morrison, Maneater, Detroit, M.I. […]: Thorndike Press, →ISBN, page 252: